Love Interrupted
by basketcse
Summary: This story is about Ranger's worst nightmare come true. This is dark and off canon. It does have an unusual HEA. Less of the humor and more of the angst you guys are used to from me.
1. Chapter 1

These are not my characters. They belong to the author Janet Evanovich and thank you for letting us borrow them and run with our fantasies.

I dreamed this story and got up that day and put most of it to paper. This is the story of Ranger's worst nightmare. His past coming back to haunt him in the worst way. This is one of my dark stories and probably not canon. Don't stop reading before you see where I'm going in the story because I usually have twists and surprises in store. HEA ending. Least I could do. (Evil grin)

Thanks to Mandyh my beta for all the help and patience with my questions!

Warning-Smut Alert and some violence

**Love Interrupted**

**Present Day**

I sat in the sand looking out at the azure sky and the clear blue aquamarine waves gently lapping at the beach. A little string of babbled half incoherent words brought me back to the situation at hand.

Alex grunted and was shoveling sand into his plastic bucket like he was on a serious mission.

The handsome man sitting next to me wrinkled his nose. "Hey buddy. This is a really important mission so maybe we should refresh that super hero diaper."

"Nuh, uh."

"Come on buddy super heroes don't go around trailing that. What do you say? We could also have some tough guy juice and some bad guy smack down cheese and crackers. You're my hombrecito (little man)."

**Two years ago**

I was looking out the window of the seventh floor apartment at the Trenton skyline, thinking back over the last few years.

I had loved two men at one time. Morelli was a TPD homicide cop. We had a long history and had started dating shortly after I had met Ranger. The relationship was comfortable and safe but sometimes volatile, which often caused us to break up and get back together for periods of time. It was tiring and it wasn't healthy or the ideal relationship.

My relationship with Ranger had been like a slow build. There had been an almost instant attraction and an unusual mental connection. I had loved Morelli, but I fell slowly in love with Ranger. I was like a moth to his flame. I could never stay away from him, even when he had told me that there would never be a relationship or a ring or a future and he sent me back to another man. It had been a surprise to find out that he had felt the same about me and was drawn to me in the same way all along. He had only pushed me away because he thought I was safer without him.

I was so happy now. Ranger and I had just committed to each other finally. He had come to my apartment one night and found me crying and alone. I told him that Morelli and I had finally broken up for good. He stayed with me that night and the next morning we had made love and he finally confessed his feelings and that he loved me and wanted me to move in with him.

After his confession, I gave up my apartment and moved in with him almost immediately. This had been a secret dream and I wasn't going to waste any time now that it had come true.

We spent six blissful weeks together and then he was called to do a mission. Some seriously dangerous job that the government needed a super hero to fix when shit gets messed up. It was to be a short one but it still didn't make me feel any better. He would be in danger and I would be without him. I loved him so much.

The day he left we could hardly let each other go. I promised him that I would wait forever and he promised that he would come home to me no matter what.

Four weeks later, I was at the mall looking at lingerie, planning for my man's return when someone pecked me on the shoulder. I turned around. A female from my past with a shit-eating grin on her face grabbed me and hugged me tight.

"Omigosh! Roxanne. How are you? You look so great!"

"I'm good now chick. How the hell are you?"

"Really good. Where have you been? What have you been doing?"

"I have been in the Airforce. I trained as a software engineer. I'm a new civilian looking for a job in the real world."

"Wow. Software engineer. Let me make a call. "Yo."

"Yo back. Hey Tank, could Rangeman use an ex-Airforce software engineer?"

"Maybe. Send him over."

"Not a he. Happens to be a she."

"No shit? Send her for sure."

I giggled. "Rox, I got you an interview with the company I work for. I think it will be a perfect fit for you."

"Fantastic! When and where?"

"Follow me girl." Roxanne had been in my circle of friends at Bryant and Stratton College when I went there. We had lost touch about a year after we graduated. Rox had been different than most girls. She was beautiful and exotic looking and definitely marched to her own drummer. She was known to be bi-sexual and even though feminine and gorgeous was known to be a dominant female lover. She had a reputation for bringing both her male and female partners to their knees literally. I wondered about what her Airforce playground must have been like.

Tank was immediately smitten with her exotic looks and dark intelligence. He hired her on the spot and set her up with Rangeman's in-house super hacker and software extraordinaire, Hector for training. Then he issued an apartment to her.

Hector was an ex-gang member, scary, gay and one of my best buddies at Rangeman. He didn't appear to speak much English and didn't want to have much to do with me at first. After we did a couple jobs together and he covered my butt and I actually ended up covering his on Stark Street one day, we ended up almost inseparable. Gay or not, Hector is a dangerous badass and an ex-gang enforcer. A gang member had spied him and wanted to make him his bitch for gangland cred. I snuck up and put a gun to the punk's head to stop it.

Now he's mah sexy papi and I love him. The only person that he speaks to in clear enough English to understand is me.

"Hola, mujer sexi Estefania."

"Hola, sexi papi." I hugged him. You met my friend?"

"Si. I going to keep an eyeball on her." I furrowed my brows.

"Okay. See you later."

I was headed to the lounge when a whirlwind of sexy Cuban energy grabbed me and spun me around. "Where you going Beautiful?"

"Looking for some lunch. The usual Rangeman choices, twigs and berries or bean sprouts and tofutti. What are you having?"

"I don't eat twigs and berries. I have a twig and berries."

"Oh you poor thing. Have you ever tried those penile enhancement pills? I haven't heard of a drug to make your berries bigger."

Lester gave me a wolf grin and grabbed my hand and put it to the front of his pants. "Shit!" He was almost as big as Ranger and growing. Time to put this tiger to sleep.

"Don't have a problem in that area Gorgeous."

"Very nice package indeed Lester. Don't let Grandma Mazur get a hold of that." He immediately began to shrink and I giggled.

"Way to ruin a perfectly good moment Steph." He led me to the elevator and punched the garage level.

We went to an Italian deli down the street and pigged out on Italian subs and potato chips. I got mine loaded with oil, mayo, and the works. I moaned and licked and sucked every delectable bite down.

I was smacking my lips and wiping the leftover juices and oil off my mouth when Lester painfully stated, "Gorgeous, that was fucking torture. I got the 'blue balls' from a lunch date. Unless you're offering to help, I gotta' go meet a hand about a huge problem in my cargo pants. Excuse me."

I giggled. "I've never seen blue balls. Can I peek before you go?" He groaned and took off running toward the restrooms.

After a long day of boring computer software searches, I finally retreated to the penthouse at level seven where I now lived with my man that was currently on a mission. I missed him so much.

Everything reminded me of him. There were the keys in the tray in the foyer, the Bvlgari body wash in his shower, the feel and smell of his sheets, the smell of his t-shirts. I had at first refused to let Ella wash the sheets and dirty clothes that he had left because they still contained his smell within the fabric.

I sat in the dressing room looking at the safe there. A while back, he had given me the combination to the complicated contraption and entered my thumbprint into the security screen. He had told me that it had his important documents, will, aliases, passports, emergency information and contacts, military documents, weapons, and it had medals. There were lots of medals from his military career. My man was a hero.

He had told me that I could look inside and that he had no more secrets from me. I had never really wanted to intrude till now. I was bored and missed him and just wanted to touch these important things that were his. After two tries I finally got the door open.

I reached in and pulled out his medals and opened the boxes and looked at each one. I gently pulled out the documents and began to open them and scan them. One was a will that included me and I had to blink several times when reading the next. It was a legal document giving me half of his share of the Rangeman Company. It was not part of the will. My God! He had never told me about this. Then I pulled out a small box and opened it and gasped. Enclosed in it was a beautiful pink diamond ring surrounded in white diamonds. I was shocked and snapped the box closed and set it back in. I quickly put everything back in as I had found it and shut the door. I felt guilty now for looking at those very personal things of his. I'm sure he had not wanted me to see some of that.

I lay in bed that night hugging his pillow thinking about the items that I had found. Mrs. Ricardo Carlos "Ranger" Manoso was all that I had dreamed of being one day. I felt so warm and happy. I smiled and closed my eyes and fell into a comfortable sleep.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Warning-Smut and violence

**Chapter 2**

At lunchtime the next day, my favorite ball of Cuban energy slid up to my cubby with another lunch invitation. "What color should we expect your balls to turn today; or does it have to do with what's on the menu?"

"That's just mean. You were brutal with that sub sandwich. How about we go to the diner today and we can choose when we get there?"

"What color balls do you normally have Lester?", a husky female voice crooned. "Mind if I join?"

"Hey Rox. Do you know Lester?"

"Not very well, but I would like to know him better."

"Well, you're invited. Let's go." Lester was looking at her with a half-sneer on his face. Interesting.

When we got to the diner, we scooted into a corner booth with our beefcake in the middle. This satisfied Lester's need to be able to see the whole restaurant and the door. I ordered a big juicy cheeseburger and fries, Lester ordered the turkey club and fries, and Rox ordered a big chef salad. I looked at Lester. "Aren't you the lucky guy today? You have a woman on each arm Les."

He beamed. "Yes I am. How about we move this back to my apartment when we get back? I know after watching you eat your greasy burger, I'll be ready for a marathon."

I snorted. "You are such a manwhore Santos."

Rox crooned, "Actually that sounds like a fun idea." We both turned to her.

"Uh...sorry chick. I just do the dudes...solo. But, I'm...a...sure Lester here would be game. You've heard of Mikey the kid that will eat anything? Well Lester here is the dude that will do anything."

Lester got his back up. "I resent that! There are one or two things that I won't do. I saw them on the menu at the red light district in Bangkok. They were..."

"NO, no, no. No way I want to hear what they were. Neither my ears nor my brain could take it and I still have to be able to eat my burger." Just then the food came.

I was thoroughly enjoying my greasy burger when Santos groaned. "Man, I'm never going to get used this. I must be a sadist too, because I keep asking you to lunch so you can torture me." Just then he jumped. I looked down at his pants and Roxanne's hand was there massaging him. I choked on my last bite of burger and looked up at Lester. He was at first shocked and then his eyes closed. Roxanne just began talking to me.

"So Steph, tell me about Ranger. I'm hearing a lot about him. I can't wait to meet this man so feared and revered."

I knew my face was flushed the color of a tomato. "Uh…well, he is that and more. He's very tender and caring at the same time to me and I miss him."

Lester began to groan harder. "I hear he's very handsome and wealthy," she said.

This was embarrassing. My girlfriend is shameless. "He is very handsome. He has a successful business, but I don't know anything about his financial status. It's not an important topic in our relationship." I flashed a small glance up at Lester. He opened his eyes to look at me for a few seconds and they were smoldering like and bright like glass. He reached over and put his hand on my knee and lowered his head and bit his lip and a small growl and gasp escaped him as his breathing went from shallow to hard.

Shit! That was embarrassing and hot at the same time. I felt like a mix between an innocent bystander and a freaking voyeur. I looked over at Rox and she gave a girly wolf grin and whispered something in Lester's ear. He was still recovering. We finished our lunch and headed back to Rangeman in an awkward silence.

When we got off the elevator back into the control room I looked at both of them. "Uh...good lunch. See you guys later." Then I hurried off to my cubby. Hector passed by about an hour later. "Psst...Hector. Come here."

"Como es mi chica (how is my sexy girl)?"

"Bueno, chico sexy (good sexy guy). You are not going to believe what happened at lunch." I was in full-on Burg style gossip mode and told him the whole embarrassing story.

"Chica, your friend is a puta and I don't trust her. I hear things and I watch her. She going to be trouble." Then he turned and walked away.

I dressed for bed and lay thinking about the day and our unusual lunch and about Hector's words. Wow, I guess those stories about the uninhibited Rox were true.

I was dreaming that I was being hugged and it felt so warm and good and I felt moist heat down the back of my neck and it made me shiver and raised goose bumps on my skin. It felt delicious and I began to stir. No, no please don't wake up. I don't want to lose this dream. I opened my eyes and felt breath on my neck, but the tingle wasn't there. Shit! I scrambled away from him and jumped out of bed running to turn on the light.

It was Ranger. There he was in the bed, but he didn't look like himself. He had shorter hair hanging down the length of his ears, a goatee beard with a chinstrap, and his eyes were different. They were hard and cold. He was naked, but covered to his waist with the sheet, and resting on his elbow looking at me. He had new scars on his chest and neck and some were still healing and a new tattoo on his right pec muscle; a snake wrapped around a knife. I shivered.

"Did I frighten you Baby?"

Did he just call me Baby? "I just didn't…I didn't know…" I couldn't tell him that I didn't feel him. "I just didn't know you were back. I thought I was dreaming about you. Are you okay?" He nodded and put his hand out.

I turned the light out and crawled back into bed. His arm snaked out and he grabbed me and pulled me roughly against him. He pulled me tight to him and kissed me hard, biting and sucking my lip. I think he drew blood. He pulled the t-shirt up over my head but didn't remove it. It covered my face and exposed my breasts. He roughly took my breast in his mouth and sucked and nipped at me with his teeth. I didn't know whether to be turned on or frightened by this man. I was really surprised that he didn't smell like my Ranger. Maybe he hadn't showered yet.

He reached down and ripped my panties off and roughly put his fingers in me and he growled, "You're not wet enough. Is there a problem?"

I pulled the shirt over my head and looked at him. "I'm sorry. I'm just not used to rough sex with you and I'm a little nervous." He gave me a wicked grin and moved down my body to put his mouth over me. He replaced his fingers with his tongue and laved me hard and then sucked my bud with ferocity and that's when the juices came. He moved back up my body and slammed into me.

I gasped and whimpered. He growled as he pumped into me hard. He looked down into my face with those dark eyes and a haunted expression came over his face and he took my throat in his hand and began to squeeze as he kept pounding me harder. The pressure of his hand became tighter as the pressure in me became tighter until I was struggling to breathe and I couldn't talk. I was trying to push him away with my hands when I came just as I was ready to black out. In the dark I heard him roar his release and then felt him let me go and roll off me. "Sorry if I hurt you. But you responded well."

When I came back to my senses, he had his nose in my hair smelling me. I felt sick. I slowly moved away from him. "I need to go to the bathroom Ranger." He let me go and I moved away from him avoiding his eyes. I never thought I would ever feel like I didn't want to look in those beautiful eyes. I went to the bathroom and shut the door. When I looked in the mirror, I saw the red marks on my neck changing color and I saw fear in my eyes.

Tears began to fall. Where is my Ranger and who is this man that came home in his place? Maybe it was a bad mission and he just needs time to adjust. Maybe all of him has not come back yet. The only thing I can do is just love him and be patient. I wiped the tears and washed my face and went back to the bedroom.

Thank goodness he was sleeping. I quietly slipped into bed and looked across at him. In his sleep I saw the softer features of the man I loved. I wanted to take him in my arms and comfort him, but I didn't know this man, so I stayed away not touching him at all. I rolled over and silently cried for him and myself.

When I woke the next morning, he was gone. I showered and dressed in my Rangeman uniform and went down to the lounge to get breakfast there. I sat quietly eating and thinking. I didn't realize that anyone was speaking to me until I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped. "Hey there, Earth to Beautiful."

It was Lester. "Oh, good morning Les." He sat across from me with his coffee and looked at me and then he leaned in and looked closer.

"What the hell happened to your neck Steph?" Just then, Hector walked up and kissed me on the cheek. "Buenos Dias Estefania."

Lester looked at him and pointed to my neck. "Look at her fucking neck!" Hector sat down and looked at me. His eyes went dark.

Both men looked up as a hand wrapped around my neck and gently rubbed it. Ranger bent over and kissed me on the cheek. "Good morning Baby." Then he looked at the two men and turned and walked away. I sat there frozen in place. He didn't care. Did he just take public ownership of what he had done?

Both men sat stunned, eyes dark, and then Hector erupted in a string of Spanish curses. Lester said, "He did that to you? What the fuck?"

With tears in my eyes, I whispered, "That man is not my Ranger. I don't know who came back in his place. I...I need to get to work."

TBC

I know you probably want to kick Ranger's butt and maybe mine, but keep reading the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

About lunchtime, my phone rang. It was Ranger. "My office in five." I didn't like the tone of his voice. Had I done something? I had just been doing searches and waiting for results. I didn't even take a break.

I knocked on the door. "Enter!" I stepped in and stood looking at the floor. "Come here Stephanie." I walked around his desk and stood in front him. "Do you want to please me?"

"Yes."

"Then get down on your knees and unzip me now." I looked at his eyes. They were still dark and cold. I kneeled and reached for him and unzipped him. I was surprised; he was smaller than I remembered. How can that happen to a man? I reached for him and took him in my mouth. He was pulling at my hair while relentlessly pumping into my mouth. Please let this be over soon. I was desperate to make him cum and be away from him. He finally growled his release and I was revolted by the taste of him. I spit him out. It made him angry and he slapped my face.

I was stunned at the anger and violence from this man that was normally always in control. "I'm sorry. I'm just not..used..I'm confused."

"About what?"

"You. You're different. Are you alright? Did something happen on the mission? Please talk to me."

The cold eyes narrowed on me. He jerked me up by my hair and pushed me toward the door. "Get out!" I slowly left the office. I love him but I'm just human and I don't like being the recipient of his anger and whatever is going on inside him. I don't know what he wants or needs if he doesn't tell me what's wrong and what happened. I ran to the restroom and into a stall and threw up all of the bad that I could get out.

When I came out of the stall, Hector was there and I launched myself into his arms crying and trying to bury myself in his warmth and friendship. He whispered Spanish words in my ear that I couldn't even understand, but they were so comforting.

"Something has happened Hec. He is not my Ranger. What if he doesn't come back?" I pushed away from him and he grabbed my hand and looked at me.

"I am worried about this. I'm going to we watching el bastardo (the bastard)."

"Thank you for caring, Hector."

I went back to my cubby and finished the work I had started and went up to the apartment and grabbed my bag. I needed to go see my girls. I needed to talk to someone. When the elevator door opened to the garage, I saw Roxanne's head disappear into Ranger's Porsche. I just stood there and waited for the car to pull out of the garage. I walked out and stood in the garage in shock. The elevator door opened and Lester stepped out.

I turned and looked at him. He stood there looking at my neck and the new bruise forming on my face. He reached his hand out and gently touched it. "I have a feeling that my life is about to change Les." Then I walked to my used Lexus GS and got in and drove away leaving him standing there with a sad look on his face.

I drove to the bonds office and walked in. Connie and Lula looked up at me. "Lula said, Hey girl I was going to call you. Heard Batman was back today. Bet you're glad."

"Actually that's why I came by. I needed to talk."

Connie said, "Something wrong Steph?" I started crying.

"Hold the phone! It's that bad? Spill it girlfriend," Lula said.

"The man that came back is not Ranger."

Lula looked at me like I was cuckoo. "What the fuck does that mean?" Then she stared hard at me and her eyes locked on to the bruises. Lula is exactly the woman who wouldn't miss those. In her recent past life she had been a Stark Street ho' and that life was no picnic. She had almost died from a brutal beating just after we had met.

Lula pulled her phone out. "Baby, you're needed at the bonds office right now." She disconnected and walked over and did something unlike Lula. She put her arms around me and pulled me to her and hugged me. She pulled away and looked at me. "That man do that to you? We not gonna' stand for that shit."

Connie said, "I'm confused." Tank came in the door in a few minutes and looked at all of us.

"What's up Baby?", he asked. Lula looked at me. "Let's hear it girl. Tell us what happened." I blushed. "Lula this is really personal."

"He put his hands on you girl and I want Tank to hear this. You said that he's not Ranger and he needs to hear that."

"Talk to me Bomber," Tank said.

"I woke up last night and he was back except I didn't feel him. I always feel when he's near. It startled me and I jumped out of bed and turned on the light. He didn't exactly look the same and his eyes are different, like cold. He even has a new tattoo. He was rough with me. Ranger never touched me like he did and then he choked me until I almost passed out."

"This morning when I went to the lounge, Lester and Hector were asking me about the bruises and he actually walked up and put his hand around my neck like he was owning what he did. He kissed me on the cheek and gave them a look like he dared them to say anything."

"Then he called me to his office and the rough sex began again. When I didn't do what he wanted me to do the way he wanted it, he slapped me. In the garage I saw Roxanne get in his car and they drove away."

Tank looked at my bruises and rubbed his bald head. "You say that you don't think it's him."

"I noticed a physical change in his office. He's smaller down...you know. I know it sounds crazy. This man is not Ranger. If it is, he's not Ranger in his head any more. Have you talked to him today Tank?"

"We had a meeting this morning. We just updated him on the last five weeks. He didn't say much. I noticed the physical changes. It's not unusual for him to change his appearance for a mission. He can be wound tight when he gets back from these missions. Has he ever hurt you before?" I shook my head no. "Never Tank. One of the things I love about him is how gentle he is with me."

"I'll have a talk with him and keep an eye on him. If he hurts you again, you come to me."

"Tell me about this Roxanne bitch." Lula had her hands on her hips tapping her toe on the floor.

"She was a friend of mine in college and I ran into her not long ago and she was just out of the Airforce and looking for a job. I brought her to Rangeman and Tank hired her." She turned a glare on poor Tank that would shrivel a super hero.

Uh, oh. "Lu, this is not Tank's fault." This would put him kind of in the middle. Not a great place considering this is about Ranger being the bad guy.

"When you get back girlfriend, you need to have a talk with that she bitch my man hired," and she glared at him again.

I looked at him. "Sorry big guy." He grinned and kissed me on the cheek and then hugged Lula and gave her a big kiss. Connie mumbled, "Get a room and I think I'm still fuckin' confused."

I drove back to Rangeman and went to the apartment. I called Ella and told her she could bring dinner for Carlos and I. When she came into the apartment, her normal smiling face was sad and sullen and the dinner was for one. I didn't have to ask and he didn't come to the apartment that night.

Crawling into bed I hugged the pillow and cried. I remembered the last night before he had left on the mission. He had made love to me. He was tender and loving and told me how much I meant to him speaking soft words of love in Spanish. I remembered his smell and his beautiful bright chocolate eyes with his long lashes and there had been love in those eyes.

I woke up with a headache and in a sad and dark mood. I dressed and skipped breakfast except for coffee and an aspirin. For once I didn't have an appetite. Then I went straight to my cubicle. I didn't want to see any one and thanked Frederique for all the work in my basket and put my head down and went to it. About lunchtime my phone rang. Oh please no. "Yes?"

"My office now."

I knocked on the door. "Enter"

Ranger gave me the come here motion with his finger. I walked to his desk chair and he grabbed my hand and pulled me down on his lap. "You naughty girl. You had a conversation with my second in command yesterday. You told him that I hurt you. When I hurt you, you will know it you worthless little cunt." He gave me a hard angry kiss and bit my bottom lip until it bled. Then he pulled me up by my hair and slammed me against the wall. Oh no, not the rough sex again. But, he suddenly let me go and told me to get out.

I ran away from the office with my head down and passed Lester. He caught me and I fought to get away from him. He turned me to him and looked at my face. I knew he saw the blood running down my lip. "Son of a…I am going to fucking kill him."

"No Les, please. I talked to Tank and I think it just made it worse."

I removed his hand from me and went back to my cubicle. I didn't know what else to do. I had nowhere to go and nowhere to run to.

When Ella brought in dinner for one again that night, I decided it was time to go talk to Roxanne.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Note-Smut Alert

**Chapter 4**

I knocked on her door and then knocked again. The door was open and I peeped in. "Rox?" I heard noises in the bedroom. I walked through her living area and stopped dead in my tracks at the bedroom doorway.

Roxanne and Ranger were both naked. Ranger had her legs spread wide and he had his face between her legs sucking and lapping at her. I gasped.

He looked up at me with a blank face and then his eyes changed and they became black and a wolf grin began spreading across his face. Slowly he rose and came to the door and took my hand. He pulled me to the bed and sat down on the end and then pulled me down in front of him to my knees. Roxanne was lying next to him grinning like a wicked Chesire cat. My chest was heaving there was so much hurt, shock, and total degradation going on inside my heart that I couldn't act and I could barely breathe.

He leveled his cold eyes on me with that wolf grin and pulled my head down to his full erection. He pushed my mouth over him. Tears began to fill my eyes. He lay back and reached for Roxanne and I snapped and completely lost my control. I bit him as hard as I could. He roared and jumped up off the bed. He reached down and picked me up by my neck and slammed me to the wall.

He was breathing hard like he was trying to check his anger and his dark eyes bore into mine and he very quietly said, "You have forty-eight hours to remove your personal items from the penthouse apartment. There is a key to an off-site apartment and an address waiting upstairs for you. I will vacate for this period of time and give you the space you need to accomplish this task and be gone. I don't have any use for you any longer in my apartment." He released me and I looked from him to Roxanne who was still grinning, and I slowly walked to the door.

I turned with tears in my eyes and looked at Roxanne. "How could you do this to me? We were friends and I helped get you this job."

Roxanne shrugged her shoulders. "He's the hot alpha man at the top. We match. I wanted him. I took him. I always take what I want." I took a deep breath and leveled my own angry eyes at her and glared. "I won't forget this Roxanne. Ever." Then I turned and ran from the apartment.

I slammed the fire door open and I ran down the stairs to level three which was mostly vacant, and slid down the wall shaking and began to sob in great mournful cries. I pitched to the floor and vomited, still trying to get my breath. I lay there whimpering for what seemed like forever and then I heard a gentle voice speaking to me softly in Spanish and two large gentle hands reached to pick me up and hold me. "Lo siento, chica. (so sorry)"

He began to lead me to the elevator and I panicked. "No, please Hector, don't take me to his apartment!"

"He is not there Estefania. He has left with the diablesa puta (she devil whore)."

He pulled me into the apartment and sat down on the couch holding me on his lap. "Chica, I was in the garage when first he came out with a bag and then she got into his car. I was checking some wiring in the garage and they were not aware that I was there. I checked the feed on the cameras on level four. They had been scrambled for a short time and you appeared and came out of the puta's apartment and eventually he came out. I saw you go through the fire door and into the stairway."

"So Hector, no one else knows?"

"I don't think so." He turned my head and looked at the darkening bruises on my jaw line and neck. "Please Estefania, tell me what he did?" I began to sob again.

"I walked in on them naked, having sex. He looked at me with no real surprise and got up and pulled me to him to try to make me give him oral sex and join them. I was shocked and hurt at first and then I bit him as hard as I could. He slammed me to the wall and told me that he didn't have any more use for me and to leave the apartment. He's given me forty-eight hours to move out Hector. He said that he was leaving keys for an off-site apartment here."

"Chingar (fuck) him and his apartment. You will stay with me for now. We will get you out of here tomorrow. You ask boss Tank for some time off tomorrow."

"No, as hard as it is. I want to see what he does. Something is just not right. I want to watch him for a few days."

"Hector, what am I going to do? I thought he loved me. I had hopes that he was going to ask me to marry him. Something happened on his mission. He has been different since he got back. He's not the same man. It's almost like that man is not him. I'm devastated and he did this with a person that I thought was my friend."

"He is not the man for you Estefania. You need a man that thinks with his heart, not his verga (dick). You save your tears. You turn this pain into anger and you get revenge. You get even chica dulce (sweet girl). I will help you. I want to kill him for the marks he put on you. "

"No Hector. If you act against him then you'll just lose your job and maybe more."

"I have no great love or loyalty to this man. This is just where I do a job. I'm certainly not afraid. I can kill better than be killed. Now lie down on my lap and close your eyes. We will think about this in the morning. I lay down and he pulled a throw over the both of us." I cried until sleep finally took me.

My eyes slammed open. I had a horrible dream. I felt a warm body against me. Oh thank God, Ranger you're home and everything is all right. Then I looked up into Hector's sleeping face. Oh no, oh please. It really happened. The whole past couple of days came painfully crashing back into my head. I eased away from Hector and walked to the kitchen. On the bar were a note and a set of keys. It simply said:

_Forty-Eight hours._

_714 Franklin Street Apt. 6._

_R_

That's it. That's all it said for all the time invested, all the trust I had ever given him, all the love I had shared with him. I thought about the shit-eating grin on Roxanne's face and the lusty sick look in his eyes when he saw me standing in the doorway. He barely had the decency to be half surprised for one second before trying to pull me into his sick little tryst. I felt shamed, betrayed, used, and thrown away like yesterday's old news. Then there is Roxanne. I thought we were friends and I helped her to get this job. Now I learn that she's just an opportunist and a backstabbing, gold digging, slut.

I thought about what I had been through with that cheating Dickie and the domineering Morelli and now this bastard that I trusted asks me to move in with him and comes back and practically beats me and then cheats and tries to make me participate and throws me out. Hector was right. I needed to save the tears and fight back. I at least needed insurance in case he hurts me again even after I move. The Dick and Morelli are nothing to fear compared to Ranger. What am I going to do?

I thought about the safe and the documents. I ran to the dressing room and tried the safe. Oh please, I hope he didn't think to change the combination. It opened on the first try and I reached in and pulled out the document giving me half of his interest in Rangeman. Then I picked up the little velvet box with the precious diamond ring and gazed at it one more time before replacing it. Then I closed the safe.

I went to the living room and woke Hector. "You're right. I at least need some insurance. I don't know this new Ranger. He hurt me, shamed me and threw me away. But, is this the end of it? I have the insurance." I showed him the document.

"I don't think that he knows that I know about it. There is something else that I want to add to this. You don't have to help, but you know how to get the information I need."

"I will be helping Estefania."

"If you're sure then there is something specific that I need you to do from here. I need you to get me the Rangeman client lists, building and security blueprints, company asset and bank account information, etc. Do it from Roxanne's computer and then place it on a zip drive and bring it to me. This will take care of Roxanne.

I'm going to move and see what happens here for the next few days or so. As painful as it is to stay, there is just something not right here. How could a man change so much in a short period of time? In the worst case scenario, I have a friend I can call to get help setting some things in motion to get away from Ranger. Even if I leave, he may not leave me alone. History and my spidey-sense is vibrating and telling me to beware."

"It's 0400 now. I have enough time while it is quiet and before shift change to download the information you need. I will scramble the cameras as I go and then do a manual turn back from Roxanne's computer so when questioned it will also come back to her."

"Thank you Hector." I kissed him on the cheek. I love you, you know."

"Si, te amo, Estefania."

TBC

Thanks for all the reviews kids! I've been a little lazy in my writing lately. Too much reading, not so much writey, writey. Keep them coming dammit! I really do appreciate all you loyal fans of my dark and dirty, twisted musings. Mwaah..ha..ha.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I began gathering my clothes out of the closet and drawers, along with a couple of boxes of personal items like photo albums that I had never really unpacked. I had gotten rid of my old furniture. I thought I wouldn't need it any more. After being shafted in my divorce and my apartment getting firebombed, shot to hell, and suffering other similar catastrophes, I wasn't left with much to show for all of my years so far.

Hector knocked and I answered the door. He came into the living room and handed me the zip drive. "Do you have a shift today Hector?" He nodded. "You better get ready for the shift then. I'm going to work my shift today too."

"I will meet you here after work to get you moved to my apartment." He kissed me on the forehead.

"Okay. See you downstairs."

"I am so sorry for your broken heart. You have such a loving heart. You do not deserve this. I still want to kill him."

"No Hector, he's not all bad. He's just mean, a Lech, a liar, and a cheater. Not worth a prison sentence."

I called Ella to let her know that I wouldn't need any meals the next couple of days and I thanked her for all she did for me and told her how much I loved and appreciated her. She was quiet a moment and then she responded with how much she loved me too.

I showered, dressed, and went downstairs. I stopped in the lounge for coffee and headed to my cubicle. I kept my head down and kept busy. At 1145 my extension rang. Oh, please no. "Hello?"

"My office in five Ms. Plum." My heart was in my throat. I couldn't go in there by myself. I ran to Tank's office and knocked. I opened the door and ran in and shut it. I was breathing hard with panic in my eyes. "What's wrong Bomber?"

"He called me to his office. I can't go in there alone. Please Tank, can you go with me?"

"What the fuck is going on here? Come on, I'll go with you."

I knocked on Ranger's office door. "Enter." I walked in and when Ranger saw Tank, his eyes narrowed on me. "Can I help you Tank?"

Tank closed the door. "Yeah, I want to know why little sister is afraid of your ass since you got back, man?"

"My personal relationship with Stephanie is just that, personal. Dismissed."

"You ain't dismissing me man! You better say why you called her to your office now! Unless you got a question or a problem with her work, we both are leaving."

He stood up and roared. "In case you don't remember, this is my company and you don't question me! It is none of your business why I call an employee in my company to my office! Both of you get the fuck out!"

When Tank closed the door, we both just stared at each other. He took my hand and led me to his office. When he shut the door, he called Bobby Brown to his office. When Bobby arrived, Tank asked me to repeat the series of events from the last few days. I told them everything except the part about Roxanne's apartment.

Tank said, "Bob, you think he needs to see our company shrink or what? Steph says that ain't Ranger, man. He is different."

"I think we should keep an eye on him for a few days. Then we'll meet again," Bobby said.

"Guys, I'm moving out of his apartment."

"Where are you going Steph?"

"He left a key for an apartment, but I'm not going there. I have someplace to go. I don't want him to know where I'm going."

"He asked you to move out?"

"Yes."

"Damn, man! He's cold."

Hector found me in the apartment crying later that afternoon. He sat with me and held me for a little while. I finally looked at him. "Okay, I'm ready."

Hector and I had carried out my clothes and what few boxes I had and placed them in the car. I just had to get my cosmetics, personal items, and jewelry box. I thought about that beautiful ring in the safe that I would never wear and the dream that had been so close that I would never have.

I was taking one last look around the apartment and trying to hold in the tears when there was a knock on the door. "I have everything. I'm ready to go now..." I swung the door open. It was Lester.

He looked at the items in my hands. "Where are you going Beautiful?"

"I'm moving out Les."

"Why?"

"Because he asked me to."

"What? Why?"

"Please just give me a hug. I'll see you tomorrow Les."

"Where are you going?" I was trying to hold it together under his scrutiny.

"Lester I can't talk about this right now, please."

"Where is Ranger?"

"Um, I...don't know."

"Tell me what is going on Steph, Tank told me you were afraid to go see Ranger alone today. He's missing and so is Roxanne. She works under my department and she's been missing from her station a lot the last two days."

I grabbed him and hugged him and walked past him because I couldn't bear to talk about this anymore right now. He grabbed my arm, turned me around, and kissed me on the lips and looked in my eyes. "I have to go Les."

"No. You tell me now what he did."

"I can't, it's too painful." The tears began to fall.

"He's with Roxanne?" I nodded.

"Oh man, dumb ass fucker. I never would have imagined him ever being this stupid. I could have told him that she has fucked every guy here already except for Hector. Tank, I'm just not sure about. She didn't even get through her physical with Bobby before they were fucking on the exam table that first day. That cunt will do anything. Nothing is morally beyond her."

I sobbed. "I walked in on them in her apartment and he tried to force me to join them while he...with her. I…well...I didn't do what he wanted and he slammed me into the wall and told me that I had forty-eight hours to get out of his apartment." Lester's eyes went to my jaw and neck the same way that Hector's had. His eyes became huge and dark and angry and he scowled.

"He humiliated you and hurt you for that little puta?" I nodded.

"Where are you going Steph?"

"He left me keys to an apartment, but I don't want anything from him. I have a place to go for right now. It's okay."

"None of this is okay! None of this will be okay with any of the guys."

"No Les. You can't tell anyone. Tank and Bobby know I'm leaving and that he wants me to go. But, they don't know the Roxanne part. Please don't humiliate me further by telling anyone else. I'm begging you." He put his hands in my hair and pulled me to him. "Oh, Beautiful I am so sorry. You deserve so much more. I love you so much."

I smiled and looked in his eyes. "Love you too Les. Give me a big hug now. I have to go. Everything will be all right."

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it and kissed me gently on the lips again.

With my head down, I walked past him out of the apartment and headed down the elevator to the garage. Hector had been waiting in his SUV. I think he knew that someone had stopped me. I nodded at him as I got into my car. When he pulled out, I followed him to a parking lot a few streets away and then we transferred my stuff to his SUV and left my car and headed to his apartment. We didn't want the GPS tracker showing that I was at Hector's place.

We were eating burritos and drinking beer after we got all my stuff into his apartment. "So, roommate, I hope I'm really not imposing Hector."

He kissed a drop of taco sauce off my lip and smiled. "Queirda, I'm glad to have you here."

"Truth is, I would be going crazy if I were alone right now. I'm kind of in shock. My life literally just got ripped up and flipped like a pineapple upside down cake overnight. There was a diamond engagement ring in that safe too Hector. He has me in his will. I think he had plans for us before he left. I thought my dreams were going to come true. I had loved that man for so long." The tears behind the dam were threatening to spill over again.

I swiped my hand across my eyes and snuffled. "Sorry."

"You're a good and strong woman Estefania. Take all this hurt and shame and you throw it back at him." I held his sweet face in my hands and kissed him gently and he kissed me back and we held hands.

"I'll tell you a secret. You are the only woman that I have ever desired Estefania. It is your light and your warmth and your love that I hold dear to me. I would do anything for you."

"As I would for you, Hector. Since you don't have a partner right now can I sleep in your bed with you? I just don't want to be alone. Would that be uncomfortable for you?" He smiled and shook his head.

That night Hector put his arms around me and we snuggled and drifted off to sleep. It was the first night that I had really slept since Ranger had come back.

Hector dropped me at my car the next day and then we both drove separately to Rangeman. I waved at the camera and headed to the control room. I noticed several guys giving me sympathetic smiles and then looking away. Probably most everyone knew that I had moved out. Then the elevator doors opened behind me and out stepped Ranger and Roxanne holding hands. I didn't look at their faces. I just turned and quickly headed to my cubicle. Now everyone in the building knew why I had moved out.

Before noon, Lester came by my cubicle and asked me to have lunch with him. I was grateful to leave the building for a while. He took me to Pino's and watched me pick at my pizza. "Stephanie, this is the first time I have ever seen you without an appetite. I'm sick about the way my cousin has hurt you. He is going to have a long list of men signing up for the mats in his future and every one of them is going to try their best to beat the living shit out of him."

"Lester, I appreciate that you guys care about me. You know I may not be able to stay at Rangeman. I know he can't fire me because you guys won't let him. I don't know if I can deal with the emotional part of staying though. I feel like I'll be looking over my shoulder all the time. I'm actually kind of scared of this Ranger." He nodded.

We left Pino's and got in his SUV. Lester surprised me when he leaned over and wrapped his hand around my neck and pulled me to him and kissed me breathless. When he let me go, I was momentarily stunned. "When I said I loved you Steph, I meant it."

"I don't know what to say Les. I love you too, but I don't have anything to give you right now. My heart belongs to a man who left six weeks ago and was lost to all of us."

"I can wait. No other woman has ever made me feel what I feel for you."

"Les, please don't feel that way. You deserve more than I can give you. There is a woman out there for you."

"The wait will be worth it." Then he let me go and put the Explorer into drive and headed back to Rangeman.

TBC

Things will begin to drastically change after this chapter.


	6. Chapter 6

Warning-Smut and violence

I'm giving you guys an extra chap today. Enjoy!

**Chapter 6 **

I kept my head down and concentrated on the work. An hour before the end of my shift, my phone rang. It was Ranger asking me to go run an errand. Thank goodness that he didn't call me to his office. He had sent me to a printer company to pick up some security brochures and I was walking to the door with my head down when a hand grabbed my arm and when I looked up, it was into those cold dark eyes of the Ranger I didn't know.

He dragged me to the side of the building and kept going down the alley. Foreboding and despair gripped me. This was not going to be good. "Where are you taking me? Please let go of me." He just kept dragging until we got to the back of the building. He slapped me in the face so hard it pitched me to the ground. I cried out from the pain.

He roared at me, "Why are you not in the apartment?"

I put my hand to my stinging face. "I found my own place to stay. I don't need it. Why? You wanted me out. I'm out."

"You are mine and you will make yourself available to me!" He reached in his pocket and dropped the apartment key and address on the ground at my feet. "You will move yourself into this apartment like I told you to do tonight. You will keep your mouth shut and stop making trouble for me. I am going to give you a taste of what you can expect if you don't obey me."

He jerked me up off the ground and slapped me again and then hit me in the ribs once and slammed me into the wall and ripped my pants down and slammed himself into me. When I started to scream, he put his hand over my mouth and held me until he finished. He hissed in my ear, "If you tell a soul about this, I will kill you next time. You're just hi..a piece of ass Baby, but you're my piece now." Then he let me go and walked away as I slumped to the ground.

I lay there in pain and shock. When I was able to get my breath, I got up and pulled up my ripped pants. My ribs on one side hurt and I felt the blood in my mouth from a busted lip. I staggered over to the key and the piece of paper and spit blood on it and headed down the alley to my car. I wasn't going to cry and I wasn't going to look back. I was going to use my insurance and leave this horror behind me.

When I got to my car and pulled my phone out, I saw that Hector had already tried to call me twice. I called him back. "Hector, I need you to come to the print shop on Hamilton and pick me up please."

In about twenty minutes, Hector pulled in next to me and looked over at me. He jumped out of his car and ran to yank my door open. "Querida, what happened to you?"

"Time to use the insurance Hector. He's not going to let me go. The next time he'll kill me."

He began cursing in Spanish and opened his passenger door and came back and gently lifted me out of my car and set me in his car. Then he went back and got my bag and locked my car and dropped the keys in.

We drove to his apartment in silence. When we arrived he took my bag and told me he would return in a few minutes to get me. He came back and gently picked me up out of the car. By then the pain was worse and I moaned. He took the stairs to the second floor and walked into the open door of his apartment and into his bedroom to lay me on his bed. I heard bath water running and he came back and began taking my clothes off throwing them to the floor. He scowled and cursed when he saw the bruise forming on my ribs and the blood between my legs. He picked me up again and took me to the bathroom and placed me in the tub. He poured a generous amount of Epsom salts in the tub and grabbed a wash rag and gently began washing the blood away.

I looked in his eyes. This scary looking ex-Latin King gang enforcer. He was intense, hard and deadly yet handsome, loving and kind at the same time in one package. "Thank you Hector for your love and friendship. I feel safe with you."

He was in control but, I could see he was seething with anger. "I want to go end his life now."

"No Hector. The only bloodshed has been at his hands. We'll do what needs to be done. Would you like to come with me when this is over? You'll always be in some danger here from leaving the gang. This could be a new beginning for you too. He put his forehead to mine. "Yes. Not because I'm afraid. I want to keep you safe."

I smiled. "My own body-guard? I love the sound of that."

He dried me, pulled one of his t-shirts over my head and tucked me in bed. "Rest Estefania. I'm going to heat some soup for you and get you something for the pain. I have some pain meds left from my last injury."

I felt a hand on mine and my eyes fluttered open. "You need to eat before I give you this for the pain. Come, I'll help you sit up." He pulled me up and I cried out. He swore in Spanish. He fixed the pillows up against the headboard and gently laid me back against them. Then he fed me the soup. I couldn't taste it or smell it. I was numb but I knew it was warm and I needed the warmth. "Good. Thank you." He smiled and gently kissed the side of my mouth opposite my busted lip. He handed me a pill and gave me a bottle of water to swallow it down.

Hector removed the tray and came back with a tube of ointment. "I'm going to remove the shirt and rub this bruise ointment on you. It will minimize them and help them to heal faster. I used to wear this like you wear body lotion when I was in the gang." He gently removed the t-shirt and began rubbing my ribs with the ointment. When his hand accidently grazed my nipple I gasped and jumped. He grinned at me. "Stop trying to turn me on Hector. I really do have a headache. Hell, my whole body aches."

"He laughed, "Oh, someday soon I will touch you that way. I promise."

"Are you threatening me with Hector love? I'm honored but, I gotta' tell you I don't do the butt stuff."

He surprised me when he burst out laughing. "Estefania, the butt stuff as you say is very good and not just for gay men. What is your experience with 'butt stuff'?" He was gently rubbing the ointment into my neck.

I snorted. "Mostly when my ex-husband the Dick and Morrelli used to ask me to do the doggie for the sole purpose of missing the actual target. _Oh oops, sorry slipped._ It pissed me off and wasn't pleasant."

"Most straight men are idiota (idiots) when it comes to anal sex. I am grateful that el bastardo Ranger did not take you that way today. I want to make love to you that way and show you what pleasure it can be. We will erase these bad memories."

I gulped. Oh boy! He was looking in my eyes and rubbing my cheeks with the ointment. His eyes were serious and sad. I placed my hands to his face and ran my fingers through his hair. "I can see in your eyes you will probably make good on this subject. You know secretly, I think I'm a closet voyeur. I wouldn't mind seeing two hot guys..you know. That day in the diner watching Roxanne get Lester off made me hot. I was embarrassed by that revelation I think." He grinned again.

"Esefania, our new life should be quite the adventure, si?

I woke up the next morning and I was aching and sore. I tried to move to get out of bed to take care of my personal needs and I couldn't get up. I groaned. Hector reached a hand out to me. "Querida, What's wrong? Pain?"

"Yes and I have to pee really bad." He smiled and came around the bed to pull me to my feet. He led me to the bathroom. "Got it from here Hec." I was taking care of personal business when a wave of awful nausea hit me and I vomited. Hector came running in the door. "Estefania!" He helped me to clean up and brush my teeth and get back in bed.

"I should stay with you today."

"No. I think you should go to work. I don't want him or anyone to suspect I'm with you. Get my phone and I'll call Tank and tell him that I'm taking personal time. I need to call that printer place and tell them not to have my car towed too. "Okay, I'll make you some breakfast before I leave."

I called Tank and told him that I wanted to request a week off from work. When he questioned me, I simply evaded and told him that it was personal. He sighed and granted the request. "Tank."

"Yes?"

"Love you big guy."

"Love you to Bomber. You're my little Sis."

"Can you have Les call me when you see him?"

"Sure Sis."

"Talk to you soon. Bye."

Hector helped me get down some breakfast and something for pain. In about an hour my phone rang and woke me. "Hello?"

"Hey Beautiful, how are you?"

"Okay Les."

"Where are you? Can I come see you?"

"Not today. I just wanted to tell you that I love you and you're my buddy."

"Love you too. I miss you when you're not here."

"Me too." Tears were falling down my face. "Talk to you maybe tomorrow. Okay..Bye"

I took the pain pill Hector left for me and slept for a while. I checked my phone when I woke and Ranger had left five messages. I deleted them all.

At 1700 hours, I called my old friend Alexander Ramos. He is a black market international arms dealer. He has a summer compound on the Jersey shore and his winter fortress in Athens, Greece. Two of his three adult sons live in the United States, one in Santa Barbara, the other in Hunterdon County. The third son lives in Rio. None of this is privileged information. The Ramos family has made the cover of Newsweek four times. At one time people had speculated that Ranger had ties to Ramos, but the exact nature of those ties has always been unknown. Ranger is a master of keeping things unknown. (Note-Most of this from Hot Six)

I, however, did know what the relationship was because of my previous history and eventual friendship with the powerful man himself, Alexander. It just so happens that Ranger is not one of his favorite acquaintances.

"Mr. Ramos, It's Stephanie Plum."

"You know you are to call me Alexander my dear. I have missed you. How are you?"

"Well, actually not so good. I was wondering if I could come see you. I have a problem that maybe only you could help me with."

"Come for breakfast. You know how I Iove to cook for you."

"I'll be there in the morning then. Goodbye Alexander."

I slept until Hector came. He sat down on the bed and kissed me and ran his fingers through my hair. I smiled at him. "I called Tank and asked for time off and I called my friend Alexander and we're having breakfast in the morning. So it's begun. How was work?"

"That cabron (fucking bastard) was stomping around the control room threatening and demanding information about you. I wanted to drag him out and snap his cuello (neck). Boss Tank was pissed at him today. Ranger was requested to meet with a top security customer that was upset and he told the man to go fuck himself. The man pulled his account."

"Our way Hector. No blood on our hands. New life. I don't think I'm the only one that he's going to hurt. I'm worried for his team." I kissed him and again he kissed me back.

The next morning I slowly rose from bed and Hector helped me to get dressed. I drove him to work and dropped him off a couple blocks from the Rangeman building. I headed to the shore and the Ramos compound. Alexander and his bodyguard were waiting for me when I arrived. He looked at me and grimaced and gently hugged me and kissed me softly on both cheeks. Then he took my hand and led me to his large kitchen where he had cooked about everything on a breakfast menu that you could think of.

'Wow, you've been busy this morning Alexander."

TBC

Warning-Anyone who is uncomfortable with unusual relationships should read my other stories before continuing. I promised HEA but, I didn't specify what kind. If you are still interested then you should read the whole story because it will surprise you.


	7. Chapter 7

previously-

_The next morning I slowly rose from bed and Hector helped me to get dressed. I drove him to work and dropped him off a couple blocks from the Rangeman building. I headed to the shore and the Ramos compound. Alexander and his bodyguard were waiting for me when I arrived. He looked at me and grimaced and gently hugged me and kissed me softly on both cheeks. Then he took my hand and led me to his large kitchen where he had cooked about everything on a breakfast menu that you could think of._

_'Wow, you've been busy this morning Alexander."_

**Chapter 7**

"I love cooking for people that I care about." He introduced me to his bodyguard and good friend Eustasio.

"You can call me Stasi, Ms. Plum." We all filled our plates and sat down. When I picked at my food Alexander narrowed his eyes.

"Opa! What is this? Part of the reason I love to cook for you is because of your enthusiasm for your food. What has happened to you my dear? Who laid hands on you?"

I looked at Stasi. "It's all really humiliating Alexander."

"You can speak in front of us both. You are like the daughter I never had. Please tell me why you are so sad and how you came to be hurt."

"Alexander, I need an attorney, a new identity, and I need to disappear." He dropped his fork and stared at me.

"What has happened that would make you need this my sweet girl?" I told him the whole painful story beginning with Ranger asking me to move in, then to his mission, and finally the changes when he returned. I told him about Roxanne and him asking me to leave, then the beating, rape, and threat. He scowled and sat back with anger in his eyes.

"Are you alone? You may stay here..."

"No, I have one person who knows the whole story and where I am. He is caring and loyal and the one who convinced me that I need to get revenge and I need a new life to get away from Ranger forever. My gut tells me Ranger will make me disappear, regardless of whether I do what he wants. I trust my friend Hector. He would literally kill for me. But blood is not what I want on any of our hands." Alexander nodded and picked up his cell phone and made a call.

"You try to eat some more. My nephew who is an attorney will be here in a few minutes." I ate a few bites to please this man who cared about me so much even though I wasn't his blood.

A dark-haired handsome man in an expensive suit walked in and gave us a beaming smile. Alexander got up and gave him a big hug and introduced me. "Dimitri, I want to introduce you to my friend Stephanie Plum. Please get a plate of food and come join us."

Dimitri shook my hand and said, "It is so good to finally meet you. My uncle regales us with your adventures. You are very important to him and he cares about you very much." He put some food on a plate and joined us at the table.

Alexander told Dimitri that I needed legal help. I handed him the papers. "The first thing that I am going to do is use this to take half of Carlos Manoso's share of his company. I want him to buy me out. I know he's not aware that I know about this. He owns fifty percent and he has given me half in this document. This will make him have equal shares with his co-owners and they can force him out if they need to, because there will be hell raining down on his company for a while after I disappear." Alexander grinned.

"Hell hath no fury. This is a woman I would never scorn. I don't know the whole story yet, but I'm betting that it's good," Dimitri laughed. He looked at the document. "I see his attorney is Haver Williamson in Trenton." I nodded.

"I know of him. He's good, but I'm better. I'll contact him and set up a meeting and I'll tell them to bring their accountant complete with a blank company check. Do you mind if I ask how you came by this document?"

"No, I found it in his safe along with an engagement ring. This was before he changed, had an affair with another woman, threw me out, beat and raped me and threatened to kill me. Something is wrong with him and I took it before I left for insurance. My gut feeling told me that I was right to take it and he wasn't going to leave me alone." He gasped and looked at me with sympathy and took my hand. Then he gave me a wicked grin.

"This will be easy my dear."

"So my Stephanie, who do you want to become?" Alexander was grinning at me with a twinkle in his eye.

I grinned. "I always wanted to be Wonder Woman. I think Diana Michelle Prince." All three barked with laughter.

Alexander said with pride, "And this is why I love my Stephanie. So strong, proud, and beautiful."

"I don't know about that Alexander. I'm feeling pretty used up, scared, and ugly right now."

"Nonsense! You deserve far better than this pig of a man. You are strong and proud. A lesser woman would not fight back. She would have shrank and fell into the shadows or joined his pervidity. Now tell me about this woman."

I told him about Roxanne and how I had helped her to get a job at Rangeman and the betrayal. Then I told him about my plans for her after I disappeared. "My friend and I have already secured the delicate and confidential Rangeman information to make her look guilty after I'm gone; the same information that is going to rain hell on his company for a while. The other owners will be furious and may just force Ranger out. She wants his money, but there won't be much left for either of them when I'm done. Roxanne will then most likely end up shipped naked to a third world country which will be perfect for the slut." They all laughed again.

Dimitri rose from his chair. "I'll get the rest of this story later. I will contact Williamson and set up the meeting. I have court in a couple of hours so I need to go. He took my hand and kissed it. "Ms. Plum I am sure that it will always be a pleasure." He took my phone number and promised to call me later.

Alexander looked at me. "Now about this disappearance."

"Complete," I said.

"You're sure about this?"

"Yes, I'm not close to anyone in my family except my Grandmother and I can find a way to get a message to her and she will keep my secret. I will miss my few friends and all the guys that care about me at Rangeman, but I think I'm sure. I'm tired of being humiliated and being the laughing stock of the Trenton news and the Burg gossip mill."

"Then we shall make it happen."

"Well, you know what idea will be the most believable for me and I need to ditch it anyway. It's bugged." Alexander barked with laughter again and Stasi looked at us like he didn't get it.

Alexander said, "Do some shopping and pack for a long vacation in the tropics my dear. You will be sipping cocktails on the beach very soon." He kissed me goodbye and I headed back to Trenton.

While I was sitting down the block from Rangeman waiting for Hector to get off work, I made a few phone calls. First I called Lula and Connie at the bonds office. "Vincent Plum Bail Bonds."

"Hey Connie."

"Steph? Hey girl, how's it going? You coming by soon?"

"Sure. Maybe we can have lunch. Is Lula there too?"

"No. She's chasing a skip. Her latest 'slippery fucker'," she laughed. "All Lula's skips are 'slippery fuckers'. Vinnie is pulling his hair out and he would be plucking his duck's feathers if he had one right now."

Eww! I giggled. "Gotta' love Lula. Give her a message for me and this goes for you too. I love you guys and I miss working with you everyday."

"Sure. We miss you too. You okay girl?" Tears were welling in my eyes. "Yeah, I'm fine. You know people just don't say that enough. Gotta' go Con. Talk to you soon."

"Bye Steph."

The next call I made was to my life long friend Mary Lou from the Burg. She had my back since we were kids. "Hello?"

"Mary Lou, how are things going?"

"Steph? Lenny is working a lot and the kids are driving me bonkers. Otherwise, it's all good. How are you?"

My heart was breaking not being able to tell Mary Lou the truth. "Good. I was just thinking about you and wanted to tell you that I really appreciate having you in my life and being my friend. I love you."

"Well Steph that's sweet. You know I feel the same. Are you okay?"

"Yep. Good. Maybe we can go shopping soon."

"Yes, yes, yes. I'll get a sitter and we'll do it right."

"Kay. See you soon. Bye." Now the tears were really ready to come. I just need to make it through one more call. I dialed my parents' house.

"Hello?"

"What's up Grandma?"

"Stephie? Are you coming for dinner? You can meet my new fella. He's got a great package. Just takes some time and work to wind it up." The picture that flashed made me puke a little in my mouth. I smacked my head a couple times to pop it out.

"Good for you. No, I'm not coming tonight. I wanted to tell you that I love you though."

"Well I love you too. Don't repeat this but, you're a pip of a granddaughter. You're my favorite." I heard someone ask if it was Stephanie and Grandma mumbled back. Then I heard a scuffle and a mild curse word.

"Stephanie Michelle Plum! Where have you been? You are so disrespectful! You don't call or come over or care about how we feel. Everyone talks about us because of you. You just move over there to that Rangeman place and shack up with all those men. It's horrible what I've been through. Just horrible." I closed my eyes and took a breath. This goodbye was going to be the easiest. "Sorry to be such a disappointment to you Mom. I do love you though because you're my mother. Tell Dad that I love him too. Goodbye Mom."

"Stephanie!...Steph…" I disconnected. I was sobbing when Hector opened the car door and got in. He reached over and took my hand and squeezed.

That night as we were eating dinner I said, "Hec, I just have a couple of boxes I labeled that I really care about. Photo albums and stuff. Can I leave them with you for now?"

"Why do you ask? You know the answer to that."

"Looks like I'm going to die in a blaze of glory soon and I don't want everything about my life to disintegrate and disappear. Maybe a few pictures and mementos for later to remember my…life." I was trying to hold back the tears again. He pulled me into his lap and hugged me.

"I'll probably be front page news again. Hopefully for the last time," I sobbed.

He rocked me and murmured soothing words in Spanish.

I looked at him. "Okay, so tomorrow is the big show down. I need balls Hec, big ass balls. How do I go in there without shrinking like a boner in an ice bath? Because just a look from him can do that, you know?"

Hector did something that I had never seen him do. He put his head back and howled with laughter.

"Mi Estefania, you have within you great strength and power and great compassion. You do not know the effect you have on people. I can tell you that he is not going to know what una perra atractiva (sexy bitch) hit him queirda (baby girl). You will be confident and look the devil in his evil eye and you tell him what you want. You demand what you want. You channel it from the pain he put here." He put his hand to my heart. I put my arms around him and hugged him.

The next day, I dressed in my best black suit and went heavier on the makeup. I covered my bruises as well as I could and used plenty of mascara and lip gloss for courage. I dropped Hector off at work and drove his car to Alexander's house and ate breakfast with him and his nephew Dimitri. Alexander hugged me before we left and reminded me that I will be Diana Prince and I can do anything.

Before we walked in the big swanky office building containing Haver Williamson and his partners, I took a deep breath as Dimitri took my hand and squeezed it and smiled at me. "Showtime, my darling girl. I'll be there with you holding your hand. This will be fun." I nodded. We walked into the huge conference room and sat at the expensive table across from Ranger and his attorney Haver Williamson.

I felt Ranger's cold eyes on me. When I glanced at him he had an amused grin on his face. That amused grin would be wiped off his face very shortly. "Baby," he smirked.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Warning-Hold on to your big girl panties!

**Chapter 8**

Mr. Williamson began, "What exactly is the nature of this request to have attorneys present for this meeting? My client has no reason for any legal dealings with Ms. Plum."

"We have asked for the Rangeman accountant to be present as well. Is he coming?" Dimitri asked.

An irritated sigh. "He is on his way."

Dimitri reached into his briefcase and presented Williamson with the legal document holding fifty percent of Ranger's interest in the Rangeman Company. "Ms. Plum would like for Mr. Manoso to buy her out. That is why we requested the accountant. I would like to see the Rangeman Company financials and we would like to agree on a buy out figure before we leave this room today."

Ranger's eyes became huge and darker as the realization began to set in. I locked eyes with him and gave him an amused grin. _"Checkmate you smug bastard,"_ I thought, and I had never really been that good at chess either.

Williamson bellowed, "This is outrageous! This document was stolen from Mr. Manoso."

Dimitri fired back, "Stolen? Why would my client steal something that legally belongs to her? Did you or did you not prepare this same legal document? Your name is on it for Christ's sake, man!"

There was a knock on the door and a scrawny middle-aged man poked his head in. "Is this the meeting for Rangeman?" Everyone nodded. He shambled in and took a seat, put on his glasses, and looked at every one.

Dimitri opened, "Mr. Fowler, you are the accountant for the Rangeman Company?"

"Yes, yes I am."

"We have a document stating that Ms. Plum owns half of Mr. Manoso's share of the company. Can you show us what that share is worth please?"

He had a surprised look on his face. "Um, let's see. Just a minute please. Well that would be worth um...approximately fifty-six and a half million dollars." Shit! I swallowed hard trying to keep it together.

Dimitri placed a calculator in front of the man. "Give us an accurate figure, please"

Fowler said, "That would be fifty-six million seven hundred thirty-four thousand. You want the change too?"

"No. Do you have checks in that briefcase Mr. Fowler?" Dimitri asked.

"Yes, yes I do."

"Mr. Williamson, shall we settle this matter?"

Before I got up to walk out the door Ranger asked to speak with me in private. Dimitri pointed to the bruises still showing on my face, jaws, and neck and told him that he would absolutely not leave me alone with him.

"I give my word that I will not hurt her. A few minutes of her time is all I ask for that hefty part of me she's holding in her hand."

"It's alright Dimitri. I'll give him his few minutes." Dimitri reluctantly backed out the door.

"I underestimated you. I'm intrigued now. I was curious about the attraction. Now I know why." What the hell is he talking about?

"Why don't you come back to me? I would like to make things right between us."

"Right as in dead? Come back till you change your mind or you get bored with me again? I always knew you could be dangerous, but when did you become so evil?"

"No, you certainly don't bore me. There is much that we can share."

"So shaming and humiliating me and making me participate in your pervidity were what you wanted to share with me? Did you forget you raped me? Is that your idea of romance? I don't know who the man standing in front of me right now really is."

"I'm sorry that I hurt you, Baby."

"I'm sorry too. You didn't just hurt me; you shattered me. I don't trust you anymore, you are not my friend and I certainly will not be your 'Baby' ever again. Baby was never the name you called me. I am nothing to you now and you are nothing to me." He leveled cold eyes on me.

"I don't think you mean that. We could still have something together. You were important to hi…me. It will be hard for me to let you go." He held out his hand to me.

"See that's the problem. I have more respect for myself than to take what you're offering. You will never see me again Ranger and you tell that skank Roxanne that she's next. Goodbye." He reached his hand out to grab my arm and I slapped him across the face with my other hand.

I spit at him, "Don't you ever put your filthy hands on me again you bastard! Oh, and in case you're not aware, your dick shrank while you were gone on your mission." His eyes narrowed at me and then the familiar blank face slammed into place.

I turned and headed toward the door. I threw over my shoulder as I was leaving, "Take a good look Ranger because it's the last time you'll ever see it, much less touch it again." When I got out the door I was shaking and my legs almost buckled and let me down. Dimitri took my arm to steady me. We left the building, got into his car, and drove away.

_Ranger climbed in his Porsche and went to buckle his seatbelt. A hand snaked around his neck and grabbed him and with a quick jerk and snap of his head, he was dead. The man in the backseat pulled the body to the back and reached for the door and got out of the car. He climbed into the driver's seat and called Tank. "I'll be arriving in fifteen. Have a clean up crew ready." _

I walked out of that building with the biggest paycheck I had ever dreamed. Dimitri drove me to the bank and I deposited the check. Three large certified checks were written and then the money was transferred and then transferred again and then totally disappeared. Within an hour there was only one bank account under the name of Stephanie Plum with the funds to cover the certified checks and leaving less than sixteen dollars in it. I placed the checks in an envelope with a letter and handed it to Dimitri.

The hard part was coming up next. Dimitri drove me to my car and kissed me and hugged me. "You deserve a new life and we will be there for you. We are family now."

"Thank you Dimitri. Now that it's time, it's just hard to let go of a life, a past."

"I know. Time will heal the pain and your life will go on Stephanie."

I drove my Lexus to the agreed upon place under the bridge. I left my bag and stepped out. In the distance, I saw Alexander and I saw Hector smiling and nodding, which he rarely did. I mouthed, "I love you guys."

A truck pulled up next to the car and I turned my head because I knew what was being placed in the driver's seat of my car. The truck drove away. I ran to Alexander.

As Alexander's car drove away the Lexus exploded in flames. It had been rigged to burn so hot that there would be no dental identification. Just bits of a charred female body would be left.

_A black Mercedes pulled up and a man got out and ran to the flaming car yelling the name Stephanie as he tried to approach it. Knowing that she was already gone and it was hopeless to get to her, he sunk to his knees with his arms reaching toward the car as he screamed for her. When he couldn't scream any more he put his hands to his face and sobbed._

Twenty-four hours later there was a newspaper article detailing the "Bombshell Bounty Hunter's" tragic demise.

That same morning the real Ricardo Carlos "Ranger" Manoso was slumped on the floor of his shower still sobbing and calling her name.

Forty-eight hours later, Rangeman's client list and codes and personal information, company security secrets, and financial status all ended up on the Internet for everyone to see. Ranger was almost ruined and the primary culprit looked to be Roxanne. She was locked in an interrogation room for two days until it was finally determined that she was just a greedy opportunist and whore and was not involved in the conspiracy to replace Ranger. For her part in hurting Stephanie and trying to ruin the company, she was still packed and flown to a hire-for-kill mercenary in a third world country, never to be heard from again. It took months of work and damage control to save the company.

Tank received a letter with no return address. It contained a letter to him and three checks for ten million dollars each to Tank Sherman, Lester Santos, and Robert Brown. The enclosed letter read:

_Dear Tank,_

_I guess you know by now what I did. I'm ashamed and I wanted you to know that I didn't do it for_ _the money. I want you guys to take these checks and put it back into your company or buyout Ranger. I don't think he is going to care about your company anymore. He has changed and he is not_ _the same man. What I did was a desperate act that I would not have done unless he hadn't beaten me_ _and then threatened to kill me if I told you guys. He wanted to keep me close at hand I think just to_ _abuse me. I'm sorry that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to all of you. I love you all so much_ _and I'm going to miss you._

_Love you 'big guy',_

_Stephanie_

_xoxoxoxo_

The post date on the letter was the day Stephanie had died. Tears began falling down the big guy's face. He felt enormous guilt and pain. He hadn't protected his little sister and now she was gone. Even in death she was still thinking about others. He put his head in his hands and sobbed.

The day of the funeral was surreal. There were just a few women present. Then there was the spectacle of the sea of huge men in black suits standing in a circle around the mourners and the casket and around them was a sea of police officers in full official dress. Every man had tears running down his face.

A strange young man approached Stephanie's Grandma Mazur and placed a piece of paper and a cell phone in her small hand. She read the note and smiled. While all the people present mourned the loss of Stephanie Michelle Plum, a little old lady and a scary looking young man with tear drop tattoos below his eye were looking at each other smiling. The happy smiles of knowing.

As the little old lady began walking away from the place where Stephanie Plum was to be laid to rest, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the piece of paper and read it again:

_Grandma,_

_I'm really flying now._

_I love you,_

_Diana Michelle Prince_

A week later I grasped Hector's hand and squeezed as I looked down at the aqua blue water and white sand below us and smiled. "I guess we're home for now Hec." Then the announcement began alerting us to our arrival and our imminent landing.

_Ranger's guilt and sorrow were complete. He would never be the same. The man who had come back from the mission had been an imposter. He had been a good imposter, except to Stephanie. Her instincts had always been right on the mark. The guilt of what she must have endured at his hands was all consuming. If he had only made it back a day sooner, she would still be alive. He had always had a fear of his past coming back to haunt him and moving her in with him had killed her._

_Eduardo Villanueva, a one-time cartel boss, had made it his life's work to get his revenge on Ranger. His plan was to kill him and take over his life and he had almost succeeded. His mistake had been not making sure that the real Ranger was really dead before he had turned his back and walked away. _

_After getting the company back on its feet, Ranger volunteered for a mission that lasted almost a year and was angry that he had not been killed. There was nothing to come home to. He sold his remaining shares of the company that he had started to Tank, Bobby, and Lester and they parted ways. The company name was changed and the men started over._

_He drifted away into the night and disappeared._

_TBC_

_Okay so I know you guys wanted Ranger to the rescue and he sorta came and went. But, let me remind you that this story is not over chickadees!_

_Some of you are dissapointed and I will say again. KEEP READING THE STORY TO THE VERY END!_


	9. Chapter 9

Warning-Smut Alert

I know you girls wanted chaps up quicker and we try. I've been spoiling you guys you know. My fantastic beta was out of town the first of the week and had to come back and work and take care of family. She gives me a whole bunch of her time and I appreciate the heck out of it. So, hand clap to my girl mandyh and she gave me two chaps so I'm going to give them to you!

Note-My regular readers know that this FAT LADY does not sing sometimes until the very end of the story. I'm liable to throw anything at you and give you whiplash. I like cliffhangers and I like to extract emotion because I'm evil. You newbies hang tough now and keep reading.

**Chapter 9**

**One Year Later**

I was in the Miami Airport when I felt someone staring at my back. I turned and looked into the hazel eyes of Lester Santos staring at me open-mouthed from across the terminal.

I calmly turned and walked briskly into a crowd of people and then disappeared into a duty free shop. I acted like I was browsing for a half-hour and then bought a magazine and shirt and cap.

I pulled the shirt on and put my hair up in the cap and walked toward the terminal. I was almost to my gate when a hand snaked out and pulled me into a hallway. I went to yell and he crushed his mouth over mine. He knocked the cap off my head and ran his hands through my curls and kept kissing me until I was breathless and my panties were ruined.

His hands were touching me and caressing me. "Oh, querido Dios (Oh dear God)," he whispered. "Please tell me that this is not a dream. Please tell me this is flesh and blood and I'm holding you in my arms?"

I looked in his sweet face and nodded. He squeezed me so tight that I couldn't breathe. He grabbed my hand and pulled me back down the terminal and through the outside doors and into a cab and gave an address and ran his hands through my hair again and began kissing me. He kissed my hands and my neck and touched me everywhere like he was trying to make sure that I was real.

We arrived at a home on the beach and I could see that there was a lagoon on one side with a dock and a boat. He pulled me into the house up the stairs into a bedroom and pulled me into his arms and kissed me hard again.

He took my bag and sat it on the floor and then reached for the hem of my sundress and looked into my eyes. "Please, Beautiful don't deny me this. I love you and always have. I thought I had lost you and I have dreamed about you almost every night for a year."

Stunned, I swallowed and nodded.

He finished undressing us both quickly and carried me to the bed. Lester was a gorgeous man and he almost rivaled Ranger naked. He lay me down gently and kissed every inch of me from head to toe with tears in his eyes. He licked me and kissed me and suckled my juices until we were both ready to go over the edge. When he entered me slowly, we both gasped and he began slowly, rhythmically making love to me. Tears were streaming down his handsome face. "You feel even better than I dreamed. My heart and my life have been so empty without you. I never told you exactly how I felt because you were his. I love you so much."

He looked in my eyes and kissed me as he moved in me. I spoke for the first time. "I love you too Lester and you don't know how much I have missed you."

We felt the wave building at the same time and he began to move faster. He looked in my eyes. "Say my name baby. Please say my name." I did as I hugged him tight and squeezed him and spasmed my release. He growled and I felt him cum inside me. He wouldn't leave me and held me with his head in my hair.

He finally spoke. "Why couldn't you have trusted me enough to tell me?"

"My heart was shattered and trust was in short supply for me then. I was angry and empty and didn't want to drag anyone I cared about into the ugly mess. I knew he would never truly leave me alone after…he threatened me. I found a way to hurt him back and end it. Lester, you don't want the woman with the vengeful heart that is mine now."

"Do you blame yourself for what an evil bastardo did to you? It makes me sick to think what you had to do to make yourself go away to have peace. We should have known, should have protected you. You were the most giving, loving soul that ever touched any of us, Steph. What did he do to you?"

"He beat me and raped me and threatened my life if I told you guys. Hector helped me until I could get help from a friend to disappear." He groaned and pulled me closer to him.

"Lester, my life has changed. I have other men that I love in my life. I need you to know and accept this. My life is not conventional and not what I dreamed, but it's a happy life now. I can't give you what you really want. I can't be just yours."

"I don't have a choice, do I? I love you baby and I don't ever want to be without you again. I have thought about no other woman. Your secret and your love are safe with me. I don't care as long as I can be part of your life. Now ambush me baby. I'm digging in and I'm not leaving for a few days."

I laughed and did exactly what he wanted. I attacked him with extreme prejudice and laid his wasted loins to rest for the night when I was finished with his gorgeous body.

My eyes opened and I looked at the beautiful sleeping man in the bed. "Shit! Oh shit, shit…"

He sprang up. "What? What the fuck is wrong?"

"Lester! We didn't use protection!"

"Do you have herpes or those sex part warts or stuff that will make you blind?"

"Shut up! You're the office horndog!" I smacked him.

"I'm clean Beautiful. I want you and everything else that comes with it. I am not losing you again, ever."

"I just went through some changes and I just started new birth control. I'm supposed to be using protection."

"It's okay. Nothing would make me happier than to plant my seed in you woman." He grabbed me and kissed me hard.

We showered and made love and went out for breakfast. He asked, "Will you tell me everything and where you are living?" I nodded.

"Steph, I'm not kidding that I want to be with you. I was wealthy prior to the mess that was Rangeman. I can walk away now and will walk away to be with you. Most everyone has moved on with their lives and Tank is good at the helm. He's a solid leader."

"Les, when I tell you what I did you may not want to be with me. I hurt your interests and Tank's and Bobby's. You know that I took half of Ranger's part of the Rangeman Company?" He nodded and grinned.

"I found that document in his safe. It was dated a year before all of this transpired. There was a pink diamond ring with that document as well. Something had happened that made him change and change his mind about us during his mission. He hurt me from the moment he came back and showed up in the bed that awful night. I was shattered after the thing with Roxanne. I was angry after he beat me and threatened to kill me. He wanted to keep me in that off-site apartment so he could visit and abuse me."

"I took the document I found in his safe and got an attorney and I took half his share of his own company from him. I framed Roxanne for the Rangeman leak. I staged my death, changed my name, and left the country and everything that was my life behind. I intended to crush Batman and the bitch and I did. The guilt was terrible for a long time and it changed me. I was worried about the company and you guys. I wanted you to have enough money to buy him out if you needed. I had hoped I sent enough to help you guys. Lester, you're a good man and I don't want you to stay with me. I'm damaged."

He looked sad and guilty. "Steph, I have something to tell you. I wasn't going to, but I can't keep this from you. The man that came back from that mission was not Ranger."

"What?"

"He was an imposter. Ranger had ruined his cartel and he almost killed Ranger and came back with the intent to take over his life and destroy it. Ranger got to him and killed him the day your car exploded. He arrived at the car right after it went up. He was devastated. It took several months to save the company. He went on a mission for a year and then came back and asked us to buy his share of Rangeman and he disappeared. Roxanne was signed, sealed, and delivered to her worst nightmare."

"Oh God, I can't breathe. I didn't trust him or have faith in him. He said he would come back to me. I should have stayed and been stronger. I ruined his company and broke his heart. Lester, I have to go. Thank you for last night." I got up to walk away. My heart had seized and refused to beat.

"No Stephanie, you could have stayed and really died. Please don't walk away. I just found you again. I love you."

"Lester, I can't make a life with you knowing he's out there somewhere. My heart knew that man wasn't him and I did all that...I did it anyway. I gave up on him, on us. I don't deserve you. I don't deserve him. What I did hurt all of you guys."

"Wrong! You didn't deserve what happened to you. That imposter terrorized you and hurt you. Ranger didn't really have to go on that mission either. It wasn't a mandatory mission. He can choose whether to go or not most of the time. He chose to leave you."

"What? We were happy and he chose to leave me?"

"Yes. I don't feel sorry for Ranger. Pride and ego and money made him take it. He doesn't turn any of them down because he thinks he's the best of the best and the world won't turn without his help. He's rich and living off some alias persona fucking some puta somewhere in the world. You didn't hurt the rest of us. The company had a small setback. We are all wealthy men. They are fine now except they miss you and we all suffered from crippling guilt because we didn't listen to you and protect you."

"I miss all of you too. But Les, he has a son. I got pregnant right after I moved in with him. The only part of this that gives me comfort now is knowing that Alexandro is a love child. We made him while we were in love. Do you know where he is?"

"I'm sorry Steph. We haven't heard from him since the day he left. You may not ever find him. Please stay with me another day and let me finish my company business and then I want to go with you and meet this little guy. We are going to make love every day until he comes back or you don't want me; I'm not leaving you."

"Les, I can't give you my whole heart knowing he's out there. I can give you a part of my heart as I do Hector and my son."

"Hector?"

"Yes. I moved into his apartment and he's been taking care of me since Ran...the imposter beat me. He is like a father to Alex and a bodyguard to us both." I laughed. "He's like our pit bull."

Lester laughed. "You hinted at having another lover. Hector is gay."

"Yes he is but, he's my lover too. After we came to the island he became that and I love him very much. He's not a jealous man and I don't think he'll have a problem with you joining our family. He cares about mine and Alex's happiness. I think it's time that you met Diana Michelle Prince. You hungry? I need fuel for what you're proposing. You know I've learned a lot from my gay lover." I winked at him. That got a growl from this gorgeous Cuban man.

"I've been known to experiment myself. I'm open. About that eating, you're not going to do that stuff you do with the food and leave me with the blue balls again?" I giggled.

"No Lester, I won't leave them hanging. I'll take care of them. Those are very handsome balls." I kissed him.

He presented me with a beaming smile and pearly white teeth. "I can share for the sake of your happiness. I want to give you pleasure every day for the rest of your life. You're my girl and I'm not letting you out of my sight. No other woman makes me feel like you do."

**One More Year Later**

Next week was New Year's week and Tank and Bobby were coming with their wives to stay with us and have a holiday vacation. Alexander and Dimitri and his wife were already here with us. Tank grouches and blames my "dying" for marrying Lula, but he's happy.

When Lester had gone back to Trenton, he had gathered the core team, Mary Lou, Lula, and Connie to Rangeman for a meeting with my permission. He told them my story and that I was alive. I had been calling Grandma Mazur on the phone that I had given her since the beginning and she knew about Alex and I sent pictures to her phone often.

Today, Alexandro Benicio Prince was busy as a bee with his bucket and working on his sloppy little sand castle. His little sister was lying under the umbrella and making little raspberry noises.

Uncle Hector came by and swooped Alex up and put his little butt on his shoulders heading for the water. He grimaced and turned up his nose and glared at us and let out a string of Spanish expletives. Alex was grasping his hair and giggling. We laughed.

"Good thing he doesn't understand Spanish yet." Lester chuckled and kissed me.

"Good thing I do understand some Spanish. Te amo Lester."

_Bright intense chocolate eyes watched from a distance. Close to his heart was a set of dog tags and next to them laid a rare pink diamond ring._

_TBC_

_Anyone want to guess what island they are on? Hint-Known for off shore banking and wealth. It is a popular cruise ship stop._


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

We were sitting on the beach enjoying the afternoon when the back of my neck began tingling. _He was nearby_. I stood and turned around. In the distance, beside a group of condos stood a man. His hair was shorter and he wore short khakis and a white casual shirt and sunglasses but I would know this man anywhere. I started walking toward him and then I ran. I stopped in front of him and reached up and pulled his glasses off.

"It really is you?"

"Yes Babe."

"I'm so sorry."

"You don't need to be."

"After everything I've done…"

"I'm proud of you Babe. If I had died, he would have killed you."

"But, you didn't die and I didn't trust that you would come back to me. I gave up on you."

"He hurt you and you thought it was me."

"I have your money. I want to give it back to you."

"No Babe, I have money. It was meant to be yours. I was going to give it to you as a wedding present.

"Oh." I couldn't help it. I turned my head and choked a sob back. "Ranger, if you'll wait here, I want to bring someone to meet you." I didn't wait for an answer. I just started toward the beach and grabbed Alex's hand. "Come on little guy. Got someone special for you to meet."

Ranger smiled at my little boy. "Ranger meet Alexandro Benicio Prince, he's your son." His eyes became huge and he looked at me and then at Alex and he got down on his knees and looked at him. He put his hand out and touched his little face and then his little hands. Two-year old Alex was looking at him curiously with head cocked to the side.

"Alex, this is Ranger. He's your father. Like an uncle except better."

Alex said, "Wanger."

Ranger picked him up. "Hello big guy. Give me five." Alex smacked his hand. Ranger's face beamed. "I'm so happy to meet you. You're a handsome guy." Alex wiggled and Ranger set him down. He ran off toward the beach and his uncles.

"He is beautiful Babe."

"We made him before you left for the mission. He is a love child and he's special. He looks so much like you."

He reached for me.

"We can't in front of them. It will hurt Lester right now. We have been together for a year after he spotted me in the Miami airport. When I found out about you and what happened, I told him that I couldn't give him all of my heart while you were still out there somewhere. He was adamant that he could accept what I was willing to give. The relationship is open but, still... Alex and I both love him very much. We have a child together as well. A daughter named Sophia." He nodded.

"He always was in love with you."

"How did you find me?"

"I went back to Trenton and Tank told me that you were alive and you were here. Is it alright that I came?"

"I have been waiting for you. Are you staying somewhere here on the island?"

His eyes were bright and soft. "I don't have the words to express how I feel about seeing Alex and I have dreamed so many nights of holding you again. It broke my heart and changed my life when I thought you were gone forever. I'm staying at the Ritz Carlton, room 114. Have dinner with me please."

I nodded. "I'll see you about 7pm." When I got back to Lester at the beach he was solemn. I took his face in my hands and kissed him. "Les, I don't know how this is going to play out. I love you and you are important to me and our daughter. At the same time, there is a small hole in my heart where the love for that man once lived and he is the father of my son."

Hector sat down next to me. "I can tell you both that I won't choose. We're a crazy happy family with a lot of love between us and I'm not planning on giving that up. Okay?" They both nodded.

When I arrived at the Ritz, Ranger was waiting for me in the lobby. He was dressed in casual slacks and a light shirt. He looked so handsome. He smiled at me when I walked up to him.

"Can I kiss you now Babe?"

"Please."

He put one hand to my face and one around my waist and pulled me close and when he put his lips to mine I whimpered at the feelings and the memories his touch brought back to me. He felt it too and his kiss deepened and his tongue began to explore and memorize my mouth and lips again.

He pulled away from me. "Would you be upset if we ordered room service?"

"No, for once I don't give a shit about food. Take me to your room and make love to me please."

He grinned and took my hand and pulled me through a door and down a hallway. We exited the building and walked a short path to a small cottage. He opened the door and pulled me inside.

He pulled me to him and kissed my face and neck and then suckled and licked my ear lobes. I reached to unbuttoned his shirt so that I could touch his skin. I was shaking I wanted to touch his naked skin so badly.

He held my face and gently kissed me. "I feel the same, but we can slow down Babe."

I reached around his neck and pulled him to me. "I just wanted to be with you and love you. I didn't have to have any more. You were my best friend. Then you were gone." I kissed him with all the pent up passion and love I had ever felt for him.

He pulled back and took my hand and kissed it. "I felt the same way Babe." He unclasped his dog tags lying against his chest and removed them. He removed a ring attached to them and then he took my hand and pushed the ring on my finger. It was the pink diamond.

"This belongs to you. I had planned to ask you to marry me when I came back from the mission. That document with your name on it giving you half of my part of Rangeman was going to be a wedding present. I wanted you to be my partner in every way." He kissed my palm and placed it against his heart.

I choked on a sob. "Why did you go? Lester said that you didn't have to go. You chose to leave me?"

"I went to take care of him. He sent me a message and threatened to kill me and those I cared about. I couldn't marry you until the threat was eliminated."

"So we lost more than two years of our life together and you lost that time with our son because of that bastard and I don't even know his real name."

"His name doesn't matter any more. He's dead and I'm so sorry that he hurt you."

"I knew he wasn't you. I told Tank he wasn't you. He was awful and his penis was smaller too."

"Good to know Babe but, I don't want to talk about that pendejo. El esta en el infierno donde pertenence."

"I'm glad you sent him to hell where he belongs!" His eyes became brighter and he grinned.

"Been taking Spanish lessons Babe?"

"Duh..I live with two Spanish speaking males and I want my child to be bi-lingual. Besides, I didn't want them getting anything over on me and talking behind my back."

"Two men?"

"It might be the deal breaker. Do you want to know now or after. I vote for after so at least I'll have the memory." He smiled.

I reached and unzipped his pants and pulled them down. There was the beautiful penis that I knew and loved. "It's so beautiful and I'm so happy to see it again." He chuckled.

As I began to unbutton his shirt he said, "Thank you but I'm more interested in seeing your attributes again." He kissed both my shoulders and pick up the hem of my dress and pulled it up and over my head and then in a second unhooked my bra and watched it drop as I put my arms down. He looked at my full and swollen breasts with huge areolae and nipples and gasped. "Dios, what I've missed. So beautiful." He guided me to the bed and shed his shirt and socks and we lay down together.

"I would have loved seeing you with belly and breasts swollen, pregnant with my son. You're nursing? I want to watch you with babe to your breast."

"Oh, you will. Poor Alexander, his nephew and Hector got to enjoy all that fun and it wasn't pretty. I was a hormonal bitch on wheels." He raised his eyebrows.

"What?"

"Hector?"

"Hector is my protector. He helped me and left Rangeman to be with me. He works for Alexander now and I might as well tell you something. I would love for you to stay with us. But, I won't change my living situation. I have an unconventional family now that I love. This ring is beautiful, but I can't marry you because of the events that changed our future. I will always love you more, but I can't be just yours anymore. I'm sorry." He nodded.

"I have spoken to all of them and they are more than willing to let you in. They know how strong my love is for you. They knew it going into this family situation with me. Ranger, I have more than one lover and I'm not going to change that. They are part of me now."

"Lester."

I nodded. "Alexander is like a father and his nephew like a brother. Hector is also my lover. He and Lester as well. They fill a need in each other that I can't. If you find this distasteful I'll understand. You would have to share me. It's just the way my life turned out. They saved me Ranger and they all love your son like their own. Are you offended?"

"No Babe, I'm not offended. I knew Lester always carried a torch for you. I'm a little surprised about Hector. Last I knew he was gay."

I laughed. "Hector is extremely intelligent and he has many layers. He had eyes on both Roxanne and your imposter right away. He would have killed him. He helped me and moved me into his apartment and then we left the country with Alexander's help. He's like a pit bull protecting me and Alex. We weren't lovers at first, but we became that and much more.

Hector loves me very much. We were alone the first year along with Alexander and then I found out I was pregnant. We formed a loving bond and he is kind and loyal. What I couldn't give Lester because of you I think they found in each other and I'm glad. We are really very happy and we have two beautiful children that fill us with joy. Would you still want me after hearing this? I don't have a normal life. I didn't get the chance to. One day I was waiting on my love to come home to me and then I was an abused and battered woman with no home. This wasn't the life I ever dreamed I would have."

"Yes, I want you. I can't take all that back and I wasn't here to protect you. I'm grateful that these men protected you and my son. How can I be a jealous man after everything we've been through? I love you, I grieved for you. I just never really felt you gone from this world and I wandered it looking for you. I wanted you to be just mine. It just didn't turn out that way. There is a grave with your name on it and I would rather share you than think about how I felt when I thought you were gone forever Babe. Just the guilt almost destroyed me."

"I have never heard you speak so many words at one time. I'm seriously turned on right now!" He gave me a sweet smile and pulled me to him.

TBC

This Ranger has been through hell and is softer and willing to accept more than before. Thoughts? Does any one know what island they are on? I'll give you a hint. It is known for off-shore banking and rich residents and is a popular cruise ship stop.


	11. Chapter 11

Note-Very smutty chap girls! But, this is long awaited Ranger lovin'.

_Previously-_

_"Yes, I want you. I can't take all that back and I wasn't here to protect you. I'm grateful that these men protected you and my son. How can I be a jealous man after everything we've been through? I love you, I grieved for you. I just never really felt you gone from this world and I wandered it looking for you. I wanted you to be just mine. It just didn't turn out that way. There is a grave with your name on it and I would rather share you than think about how I felt when I thought you were gone forever Babe. Just the guilt almost destroyed me."_

_"I have never heard you speak so many words at one time. I'm seriously turned on right now!" He gave me a sweet smile and pulled me to him._

**Chapter 11**

I reached out and touched his erection. His skin was so familiar, so soft and smooth. I moved between his legs and his eyes smoldered. "Babe."

"Please let me touch you. You may be pleasantly surprised. I don't have the inhibitions I did before after having two children and two lovers. I love making my men happy."

He groaned. I took his tip in my mouth and licked as I caressed his sack and moved my fingers down to massage him. He gasped, "Oh Babe."

I repositioned myself so that my lower half was on his end of the bed. "Touch me Ranger and I'll show you why I need you to make me wet."

"Dios, your mouth and your body." He placed two fingers in me and began to massage me. I placed my mouth on him and took him as far as I could and continued to massage him with one hand and reached up and tweaked his nipples with the other hand. When he had me sufficiently wet I grinned at him and reach my pointer finger down and scooped up some juices and rubbed it behind his perineum and at his opening and circled it with my finger.

"Aaagh…,"he gasped.

"More?" I wanted him to give me permission. His eyes were surprised but he nodded his consent. I pushed my finger in as I took him in my mouth again. He lost all control, flexing and moving toward my mouth and my finger. I had to hold his abdomen down with one hand. "Babe please stop, I'm going to cum."

"Then cum for me Ranger. I'm waiting." He exploded into my mouth and I swallowed all of him down and it was as sweet and delicious as I remembered him to be. I moved to clean up in the bathroom while he came back to his senses. I grabbed a bottle of water for us.

"Babe, I'm not a young man anymore. I wear bifocals to read. You could kill me like that."

"But what a way to go. I bet you're sexy in those." I kissed him. He sat up and I straddled him. We shared some water.

I moved on top of him and took him inside of me. We both gasped at the feel of this closeness again. "You're so tight Babe. Just like I remember."

"I'm mostly the same. Both babies were taken cesarean. Alex gave me complications like you, and I asked for one with Sophia." I winked at him as he ran his finger along my scar.

"Thank you for my son."

"Ranger, he has brought so much light into our lives. We adore him. We love our children and want to have another one." I moaned as he moved. "By the way, you feel wonderful too. Feels like coming home." I bent down and took his sweet mouth in mine. I put my hands through his hair and whispered in Spanish how much I loved him and how I had missed him.

"Babe."

One word with him had always meant a mountain of meaning and I knew what he was trying to communicate.

We napped and made love all through the night and now I would always hold him like it might be the last time because we both knew what that meant now. I assured him that I had enough love to go around and that he would be happy in the loving arms of our little family.

The next morning he packed and checked out of the hotel and we held hands as we got in my car and drove to my house on the beach. Our home was a large two and a half story white and black trimmed cottage style house with a real white picket fence. We had a four-car garage with apartments on the second level. There was a beach on one side and a lagoon on the other with a boat dock and a small yacht, a smaller speedboat, and jet skis. Ranger smiled as he looked at me when we got out of the car.

"We don't need security here. No one really knows who we are. There are other residents like us and the island keeps our secrets. We feed the island and it protects us all. Your money is here on Grand Cayman." He nodded and grinned. "I have some of mine here too. I've never been here before now. I like the Caribbean."

Ranger got his bag out of the car and we walked to the front door. Alexander opened the door and grinned at Ranger. He extended his hand. Ranger took it and we walked in the door. Lester and Hector were standing there with blank looks on their faces.

I kissed both of them. "It's okay guys. Nothing is going to change. We just have a new family member. Or, I should say, one of our family members has come home. Please make him welcome."

Just then, Alex burst into the room giggling and ran to me and jumped in my arms. "Momma, Unc Les tooted and he bamed it on Grandpa. Then Unc Hec tooted and bamed it on Unc Les and then Grandpa…"

"I get the picture baby. I think we need a dog and they could all blame it on him." We all burst out laughing. I squeezed him and kissed him.

He looked at the man next to me. "Wanger." He held out his arms for him and Ranger beamed and took him. "You can call me Papa or Dad or Daddy. What would you like?"

He cocked his little head and thought for a minute. "Papa Wanger."

Ranger looked at me and grinned. "Papa Ranger it is." He buried his face in his soft brown locks and kissed his cheek.

Alexander nodded at me and shut the door behind us.

It was New Year's Eve and Ranger had been with us for four days. The guys were beginning to bond. Lester and Hector had spent a lot of time showing him the best of the island and they went fishing, diving and snorkeling, and took the jet skis out. He began to drop the wariness of the first day when he arrived and started to smile and laugh and talk more.

I could tell that he was uncomfortable the first morning when Lester burst into the room with Sophia and we were all naked. Lester handed her to me and plopped down on the bed. I sat up and put her to my breast and Lester and I both looked at Ranger and we burst out laughing at the look on his face. His eyes were huge and then they softened as he watched me nursing.

I looked down as a tent began to form under the sheet and looked over at Lester. "Oh good grief, what is it about nursing that starts your engines?" Lester laughed. "Jealousy baby." He leaned over and took my unused nipple in his mouth and suckled it. Ranger reached over and smacked him on the back of the head and the next thing you know they were on the floor full out wrestling naked.

I was worried at first and then I saw they were smiling and I remembered how they used to enjoy wrestling on the mats at work. They were having fun and they were now making me hot watching them. They finally called it a draw and rolled on to their backs panting. Lester said, "You're getting old cuz."

I finished nursing and was playing with Sophia. Ranger came over and kissed me and asked if I wanted to shower with him. I handed Sophia off to Lester and kissed him with a promise that I would take care of him later.

We made love in the shower. While we were washing each other I talked to him. "It gets crazy around here. Were you uncomfortable when Lester came in this morning?"

"Surprised at first, but not after seeing you so comfortable nursing the baby. I saw that you're happy. I notice you've changed a lot. I see a more confident Stephanie."

"I guess I am. I'm very happy now that you're here. Privacy around here is in short supply. If we want it, we have to ask for it. After having two babies and two men around all the time, any modesty I had left a long time ago. We decided that we're not going to make a big deal about nudity with the kids. At least until they're older. Your son is the biggest nudist. There are days when we have to chase him with diapers in hand. He makes a game of dropping them all over the house and everywhere we go for that matter." Ranger laughed.

We got out of the shower and began dressing. "How often is Alexander here?"

"He's here at least nine months out of the year. His kids and grandkids are grown and it gets lonely at his compound with just him and Stasi, his bodyguard and friend. He loves the children and loves to cook for all of us. He adopted us all. He has a girlfriend on the island. Hector works for him and travels with him some. Hector loves him like the father he never had. The biggest change has been in Hector."

"When we got here he became close to Alexander and began to trust him and then we became lovers and found out I was pregnant. He began to change and soften and to smile more. One day he just decided he wanted to have the tear drop tattoos removed and when he came home, he was like a new man. Kind of like he had been baptized, but with love instead of water. Coming here may have saved all of us."

"Lester was unhappy. He was suffering in grief and unrequited love. He refused to try to find another woman. I guess I give him enough. I was worried about him, but I think he's very happy now. On the outside, he doesn't seem to be upset that you're here. He and Hector love each other. I think secretly Hector had loved him from afar for a long time. When Lester showed interest in having a sexual relationship with him, it just kind of completed Hector and maybe Lester too. I think maybe Les has always been bi-sexual and that was the problem with him finding the perfect mate. Now he has two perfect mates and children and a big family. He's complete too."

"So you see, it's not about the sex, which is great; it's about the love and we have it in spades."

"I'm glad to see you so happy Babe. Your home feels like a warm and happy place."

TBC

Many of you got the island correct. Hand clap for all you girls! Zetharin was the first to guess. Shout out to her and check out her first story 'Unbreakable Bonds'. Thank you for all of the reviews. I know every one is not going to be happy with the end of this story. Ranger is in the family but, may not have been if they connected in Trenton two years before. He would have pushed her away again and not married her.


	12. Chapter 12

Note-More smut and naughty bits for your imagination.

Previously _-"I'm glad to see you so happy Babe. Your home feels like a warm and happy place."_

**Chapter 12**

"Ranger, I want you to be happy too. I want you to live and laugh and love and try to let all that old bad stuff go. All of us have done some healing here and you can to." I winked at him. "I have some nice surprises in store for you big boy. Hector taught me some of the finer points of the gay sexual relationship and I liked it a lot." He put his arms around me. "He talked you into doing butt stuff?"

"No. He showed me that I was afraid of it because of my idiot exes. He showed me how to really pleasure a man. Lucky you."

"I can't wait. I love you."

"Oh, I love you and I'm not letting you leave me again."

We went downstairs for breakfast. As always, Alexander had a spread. Alexander asked Ranger what kind of foods he liked and favorite dishes and told him that he would be happy to cook them for him. We had a maid come in twice a week and clean and do grocery shopping for us but, Alexander made it clear he didn't like anyone in his kitchen. He would even make home-made baby food for Alex.

Dimitri and his wife Liana came in the house. They were staying in one of the apartments over the garage. I introduced Ranger to Dimitri and told him he was the attorney that helped me to snatch half of his Rangeman interest. Ranger shook his hand and thanked him for it. Dimitri laughed, "Now this Ranger I like very much. Welcome home my friend."

About that time Alex streaked through the kitchen giggling. I looked at Ranger and said, "Your turn." Everyone started laughing. Ranger laughed and went in search of the diapers and then Alex.

The guys all went fishing together while us girls and Alexander stayed with the kids. Liana was two months pregnant and a little green in the gills. Alexander was planning his menus for the next few days with the holiday and our other guests coming. He was tapping away on his laptop and adjusting his bifocals and talking to himself. I walked up and massaged his shoulders and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't over do it Gramps. We need you, you know." He just patted my hand and went back to it.

I pampered Liana with a foot massage and a mani-pedi. She was so grateful. I told her how good Hector was at doing this stuff for me and she laughed. "Hector is an enigma; a one of a kind."

"Yep. He is precious. He could slice an attackers throat with one hand and paint the perfect daisy on your toenail with the other." We giggled. This shouldn't be funny but it was. She had been with Dimitri for a long time and understood the mob life and the circumstances of our strange family. She knew it worked and she knew that there was more love here than in most families.

"Can I ask you a personal question Stephanie? I'm prying and you don't have to answer."

"Okay. Shoot."

"You are with Lester and Ranger and Hector too?" I nodded.

"You think badly of me?"

"Oh no! If anything I think you're a lucky woman. I just can't understand not seeing jealousy between the men. I don't understand how you guys make it work."

"Well for my part, you know the story and this wasn't planned. I needed Hector, Lester needed both of us and Ranger was and is my true love. As far as the guys are concerned, they are not normal men. Hector came from the gang and Ranger and Les from extreme military. These guys are used to forming small, tight knit groups. They shared everything and depended on each other to survive."

"Ranger hasn't shared with me yet where he's been, but I can see signs already that he missed being in a group. I can see that he missed Lester. This is probably exactly the type of family where these men would be happy. Unconventional but, it works for us. I never was hung up on the conventional marriage thing anyway but, thank goodness I accidentally became pregnant. Our children have saved us all.

"I'm glad Ranger finally found you. I can see how much happier you are already."

"My life is complete now Liana. I'm never going to look back again."

The guys came back with a great catch and Lester and Ranger went out by the boat shed to clean them. Alexander was excited. He was hoping they would come back with some fresh grouper and they had caught a couple good ones.

Dinner was so good that night. Alexander had prepared a Jamaican menu. Blackened grouper, fried plantains, greens, rice and black-eyed peas cooked in coconut milk and coconut cake. It was heavenly. We ate and drank wine and had pleasant conversation.

That night as I showed Ranger my new knowledge of how to please a man, Lester came into the room. "I missed you today amante." Ranger stiffened and glared at Lester.

"Les, I told you it may take a while for Ranger to adjust to things. You know I won't neglect you."

"Beautiful, he and I have been with a woman at the same time before. This shouldn't be a problem for him. He's just being a selfish prude", he snarked at Ranger.

I giggled at that. "It's your decision Ranger. Can you handle this?" He surprised me by nodding. "Afterwards, he can expect an ass whipping though. We have a few things to settle." Lester gave us both a big wolf grin and put his arms around both of us and entered me. Ranger and I both gasped.

I reached back and rubbed his face. "Ranger don't hold back. Neither one of them can last very long and neither can I. Lester is jumping the gun a little here and I'm sorry. I glared at Lester and put my arms around him and gave him a hot sloppy kiss. You're a bad boy Les."

"That's what you love about me baby." We made love and it was short and hot and incredible. I thought Ranger would die before he came to his senses. I got up. "I have to leave you guys for a while to go check on Hector and Sophia." They both were panting laying on the bed and just waved me off.

As I was leaving I heard Lester say, "She's woman enough to kill us all. Dios, I love her." Ranger just grunted his agreement.

I crawled into bed with Hector and hugged him. "Te falle a ombre sexy (I missed you sexy man). Are you alright with these changes? You've been a little quiet." He nodded and kissed me. "I'm going to go get Sophia and nurse her."

"I'll get her chica. I love to watch you feed el babe." As I was laying against Hector nursing, Ranger and Lester came into the room. "So, I guess we're going to be okay guys?"

Lester said, "I'm good gorgeous."

I looked at Hector and he nodded and smiled. Hector raised my hand to ask about the diamond Ranger had placed there.

"Since things didn't go the way you planned, can we call it a promise ring? A promise that you'll stay and commit to our family too? I love all of you and I wouldn't be happy without all of you here. Can you live with us? We all want this for life Ranger. Front porch with four rocking chairs and grandchildren."

"Yes Babe. Not my original plan but, it feels surprisingly comfortable under the circumstances. You have a happy home and you're at the center of it. I don't want to leave you or the children or this dumbass beside me." Then he smacked Lester on the back of the head and they were back to wrestling naked. I turned and looked at Hector. "That kind of turns me on, you?" He nodded and grinned.

"We're a complete family now Hec and it makes me so darn happy." I looked into Sophie's sweet face and kissed her. "You are a lucky girl little Sophie. You are a Daddy's girl times three."

Alex streaked into the room and when he saw the men on the floor wrestling, his face lit up with two-year old's menace as he squealed with glee and launched himself right in between them. They laughed and started showing him some moves and would make big productions of letting him win. Each time Alex would claim victory, he would sit on them. He had just put Ranger down by the shoulders and he sat his little butt on his forehead. Ranger was already chuckling when Alex let out a little 'poot' and started giggling. Lester barked with laughter and I leaned over and said, "Yo, military man. He just fired off a warning shot over your head and if I were you I'd snatch him up and run like hell."

Realization struck Ranger and he said, "Oh shit!" Then he grabbed Alex and jumped up and took off for the nearest bathroom. As Ranger headed out the door with Alex wiggling under his arm, Alex said, "Oh...chit." We all burst out laughing. I said, "No way that man can deny that boy is his son."

On New Year's eve, Tank, Lula, Bobby and his wife Daria arrived at the airport before lunch. Hector had picked them up and we were now enjoying Alexander's wonderful lunch menu of fresh conch fritters and salad. The guys had snorkled the day before and the conch was 'uber' fresh.

Lula was almost drooling. "Damn girl! This shit is good! Like fried chicken of the sea, girlfriend!" I laughed and looked at Alexander. He had his arms crossed over his chest grinning.

"It's actually a mussel. I think it has a taste between shrimp and lobster."

"Girl you know how much I like muscles," and she reached out and squeezed Tank's bicep and I giggled. Bobby shook his head.

Lester and Ranger walked in and they high-fived and fist pumped each other and Hector, Tank and Bobby. "Fishing again guys?"

Lester said, "Yeah, Alexander put some pressure on us. He wanted some particular kind of fish for his menu tonight."

"Did you come through?"

He kissed me big and slobbery. "Hell yes! We came through baby." Then he sat down next to Hector for lunch.

Ranger came up behind me and put his arms around me. I fed him salad and conch. "You two smell like the fish Alexander requested." Ranger grinned at me.

Bobby and Tank were beaming watching Ranger. They loved their friend and knew how he had suffered and that he had not been happy for a very long time.

Alex went to streak through the kitchen again but, this time his Dad's arm snaked out and he grabbed him as Alex giggled and squealed. Ranger looked him in the eye and said, "You're a big boy now Alex. When you can make both pee and poo in your potty then you can go without the diaper."

"Kay papa Wanger." Ranger took his little hand and then flopped him over his shoulder while Alex continued to squeal and took him out of the room.

"Wow. Did you guys see that?" They all nodded.

"Lester said, "He's like the fucking baby Yoda." We all burst out laughing. Bobby said, "Yeah man, the baby whisperer."

After lunch I walked into my bathroom and there stood Ranger at the big toilet and Alex standing in front of his little potty and he was showing Alex how to pee standing up. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing, It was so cute. Alex's aim wasn't too good but, he had the idea. I said, "I'll put a container of Cheerios in all the bathrooms and you can make a game out of it. Throw one in the potty and tell Alex to try and hit it." Ranger grinned at that.

Alex turned to me. "I wanna' do dat' Momma." He made a stream toward me like a water fountain. Ranger said, "Whoa, there little buddy. You have to aim at the potty and hold it down like this." Then I had to giggle watching them as I cleaned up Alex's little mess. This was a picture that I would have never dreamed a few years ago. I adored this Ranger.

TBC

I know I went wimpy on the 3-way. I didn't want to mash any tender sensibilites. Sorry FairTaxGirl, I'll make up for it later and write you something real good and dirty. LOL


	13. Chapter 13

**Epilogue**

Alexander had hired a local party planner to decorate our back patio and yard. Tiki torches and lights were strung and tables placed and decorated. We had a DJ to play music for our party and a bartender. We dressed island casual, except for Lula who was wearing gold lame' and black spandex and four inch FMPs and glitter in her hair. All that mattered was that her husband thought she looked beautiful. Our housekeeper's daughter was babysitting our little ones.

Alexander's lady friend and Stasi arrived right before dinner and we all hugged and made introductions.

Alexander had outdone himself on our dinner. The appetizer was Cayman pumpkin soup, the entrée was grilled fresh snapper with mango chutney or jerk chicken, sweet potatoes, island greens, and for dessert, Tortuga rum cake. Ranger sat back and rubbed his belly. "Alexander, you're going to make us all fat and very happy. That was an outstanding meal." Alexander beamed at this compliment.

"Thank you. I love to cook for the people I love."

As the dishes were being taken away, the DJ began to play a slow romantic island song and Ranger grabbed my hand and pulled me out to the patio to dance. He put his arms around me and kissed me hard and then spun me and dipped me and bent and kissed my neck. This brought a string of whistles and cat calls and other couples to the dance floor.

I danced with all my guys and Tank, Bobby, Stasi, Dimitri, and Alexander. By midnight my feet were killing me and I was tipsy from all the rum punch. Five minutes before midnight, Ranger, Lester, and Hector were flipping for the first kiss. Hector won and gave the other two a shit-eating grin. "Le mostrara como besar a una mujer (I will show you how to kiss a woman)."

At the stroke of midnight, Hector bent me backward and planted a two minute French kiss on me that lit my panties on fire and left me standing in a puddle of very wet Stephanie. Ranger and Lester both snorted and then laughed. Hector had made good on his promise. Boy, did he make good!

Lester grabbed me and picked up where Hector left off and when he let me go I was wobbly knees and goo. Ranger held me to him and winked at them. "Best for last Babe." He gave me a slow simmering kiss with tongue that went on forever. I actually forgot where I was. All thought just popped right out of my ears until I heard throats clearing and whistling. Wow!

I went around and hugged and kissed all my friends and hugged the girlfriends and wives. We laughed and chatted for a little while longer until everyone started to get tired. Lester and Hector had agreed to let Ranger and I have the night together alone because they had each had a New Year's alone with me already.

As we were making love Ranger said, "Babe, I don't know if I would have been quite this happy as we were before. I look forward to every day and night here. I can't remember ever feeling like that in my life."

"Welcome to paradise big boy. Now finish what you started here…"I pulled him closer to me and kissed him. He growled and kissed me back.

`````````````````````````The End```````````````````````````

I made this a shorter story because it was so dark. I almost ended it before deciding to give a glimpse into their lives together. I actually loved writing it though. If Ranger had made it back to Trenton in time he would have NEVER asked Steph to marry him. He would have pushed her away again. However, the tragedy and pain of losing Steph brought home what is most important and that is just being together and in love.

Ranger walked into this new life with few reservations because of everything they had been through and Stephanie's life would not have been whole without all of these men after everything. Unconventional, but hea. Hope you enjoyed it. Next up is a really funny one. "Words Never Spoken" I'll have it up in a couple days. Thanks for reading.


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